Floral Visions and Restored Amends
by Olive nerd
Summary: Princess Celestia is soon to be married! Sadly, Twilight may be forced to miss it when her friends flee from their laws of chosen love. But the worst part of the trip is when they meet an old foe and few minions whom manipulate her friends with one stinking flower! What could they be after? Love will soon drive all mad! PC/OC R/S FS/RD TS/D More may follow these! Midsummer parody
1. Prologue: Never was love a smooth course

Prologue

**I do not own the My Little Pony series from Hasbro nor William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' play, which this fanfic is based off of. Personally, it is also my so far favorite play from this phenomenal actor, poet, and artist, and I hope you enjoy this!**

The day had finally arrived. After all of her years of sworn rulership and honorable recognition as the unmarried and older ruler of Equestria, Princess Celestia was going to soon be a blushing bride. Her niece, the beautiful Princess Cadence, was to be her matron of honor. They both had planned for the wedding to take place in their kingdom. Only this time, she had always dreamed and requested for one of the most important events of her life to take place outdoors, and that was where it would be: in Canterlot's prideful courtyard. As a young filly, Princess Celestia had adored playing air tag with her true and faraway best friend, the big-mouthed but secretly sweet Prince of Haynce, Prince Victor the third. And what made the princess blush was the ironic turn of events that all started when the colt that had grown to be a kind-hearted and courageous stallion bent on one hoof. He had changed so much through the thousands of blissful years they have and still are sharing with each other, and yet, he had somehow managed to stay the same fearless colt through her eyes.

But whether this wedding was going to be flawless with her flawless groom or not, Celestia still had to face her future maid of honor, Twilight Sparkle, now her nephew-in-law's younger sister as well. The dear child never paused to rest, and yet maybe that was what amused the princess. Being the leader of the Mane Six and the one entitled to the glorious crown and title as elementally magical leader of the Elements of Harmony was not a simple task, especially for somepony as young as her. And while thinking about it, Celestia shivered slightly at the thought of her breaking down to an unheard of proposal. She had never told anypony, much less Twilight, about Victor. Maybe it was because of the long distance and piling duties as princess that made her loose track of him. But either way, such an excuse may not persuade her trusted student into calming down.

As if one a tight cue, the doors of the main throne room, where she had resumed her thought's strolling, slammed open to reveal a very enraged Princess Luna, only sibling of Princess Celestia. Her midnight blues tresses were slightly frizzed, and her sea green eyes brightened with fury. Behind them, Twilight, Rarity, and Spike were huddled close to each other and kept their fearful expressions on the seething princess. Restraining a pitiful sigh, the radiating princess only gave her younger sister a solemn grin. Perhaps it was fate itself that made Luna the most ill-tempered. It wasn't that her little sister was spiteful, rather, she was indeed very genuine and kind. But ever since she had been restored back to her original form and separated form her jealous delusions as the corruptive Nightmare Moon thanks to the Mane Six, Princess Luna had yet to become a social bug and lay off on the ancient Canterlot voice.

"Good afternoon sister," Luna hissed with an aggravated tone, while ushering for the two ponies and baby dragon to her side. Twilight, being the bravest, gave her friends a look of assurance, and Rarity and Spike reluctantly inched closer to the golden thrones and bowed respectfully with Twilight. Celestia, in her curious state, didn't fail to notice Spike's small hands cup over Rarity's crystal white and pedicured hooves. 'They must be….Oh sweet Cloudsdale!'

"It seems that there are two citizens of Ponyville whom I have came across on a stroll through town requested by Miss Sparkle," Luna continued, while glancing sternly at the bowing friends. "Unfortunately, these citizens have disobeyed the _Equestrian Species Code Number 76: Nopony on the grounds of Equestrian lands shall ever or attempt to develop and bond in a romantic relationship with another species, especially if that other species is one with ominous ancestors-"_

"So," Celestia stiffened to hide an amused smile before continuing. "Spike and Rarity are…in love?" Luna nodded earnestly, and Celestia gave Twilight a sympathetic glance before beckoning my sister to continue.

"And my sister, I'm sure that you are aware of the mandatory punishment for such a bond," Luna asked hauntingly, as Rarity's usually calm expression began to scrunch up and Spike tightened his grip on her delicate hooves. "DEATH! Execution on an assigned time for the partner whom was to confess the idea!"

"We both did," Spike shouted defensively with worry easily detected in his bright green eyes. "It was at the same time! Uh…signoutaneously-

"Simultaneously Spike," Twilight corrected with an eager smile. "And yes, princess. I was there to witness them both confess their 'undying' emotions for each other." The librarian smirked teasingly at her friends, whom were both blushing beat red.

"Twi," Spike sighed tiredly, and yet his lovely girlfriend gave a giddy giggle.

"Then one of you must be put under the rope," Luna declared, while rising over their heads. Celestia hoof palmed at her sister's overdramatic declaration. What stone can do to the mind for a thousand years was beyond her, and oh, how much Luna had missed!

"On the contrary," Twilight had to shout, since Luna's magnificent grayish black wings were making the breeze around them whistle obnoxiously and loudly, even when they were indoors. "On the contrary, your highness, I do believe that there was an additional option for the price of loving another from a-ahem-different species; single blessedness."

"Pardon?" Rarity looked up from her grief and self-pitying thoughts. Her royal purple locks were slightly mangled, for she failed to notice that she had been lowing herself more and more into the baby dragon's grip. She feared it would be their last embrace.

"Your are quite right, Twilight." Celestia gave Twilight a quick beam of admiration. "There is another way, Rarity. Aside from one of your executions, which by the oath of the elements I'd never look forward to holding, Rarity, you may take the sacred oath of single blessedness under Princess Luna's night sky."

"What exactly does that mean," the glamourous pony asked with her head still bent. "I do hope it has nothing to do with cruel torment, though I'm sure it is not, your grace."

"Of course not," Celestia assured with a kind, but worried grin. "Single blessedness means that you, well, please explain the details of your oath, my good sister." Luna nodded eagerly before explaining.

"The legendary oath of single blessedness is an oath taken only by mares and other related and feminine species whom desire to surrender their potential bonds of the restricted advancing chances of deflowering. For the oath is eternal and must never be taken as a jest under the sacred and divine pleasantries and stability scales that symbolize Equestria's picturesque and phenomenal and honorable entitlements. Such an oath broken must be traded with the repulsive cost of an immediate noose sentence. Forgive us for such disciplinary measures, citizens, for we have not the answers for our ancestors dominating the skies above." But once the princess of the night had settled back on the ground, she grew uneasy at the dumbfounded expressions of the young couple. "Does thou not comprehend thou's position?"

"Guys." Twilight tapped their shoulders while grimacing. "In other words, Rarity, you'd have to swear never to marry or…"

Getting the message, Rarity slumped in despair, while still holding Spike's gentle hands. What in Equestria was she to do? Was this innocent mare only to love her true and equally guiltless love in the afterlife and not around the joyful smiles of her beloved friends? Of course not! She was positioned as a crowned individual as an elemental harmonious protector of the element of generosity. They'd never even hang her on a noose or execute her on an axe, but what about her precious Spikester? What cruel destiny awaited for him? And even if she had chose the additional option of single blessedness, how would she be able to face the tears of never holding her scaly love again? Sending Twilight a hopeful glance, Rarity began to display a cute pout, a pout that also held growing sorrow.

"I refuse the third option of single blessedness," Rarity responded firmly, keeping her eyes on the worried sunlight princess. The princess of the night only frowned to herself, and Twilight groaned to herself in fear. But then, Spike jumped out of her arms and kept a poker face.

"Then since Rarity holds the element of generosity, it is I whom must be executed!" This made both Rarity and Twilight gasped, only it was Rarity whom embraced him possessively, and yet gently.

"NO," she cried. "If you commit to this, my life has ended!"

"I'd rather die than never be able to love you, Rarity."

"Well since I'm so generous, why not end my sorry life now?"

"SILENCE!" Princess Luna's roar made even her older sister jump, yet it was Spike whom fell back into Rarity's arms and trembled in fear. "The law is the LAW-"

"And since I have a wedding occurring soon," Celestia interrupted briskly. "I cannot afford any 'drastic' execution nor oath. Forgive me, Twilight, but I am the bride of this wedding. Forgive me for not speaking of this earlier."

"It is quite alright, princess." Twilight politely raised her head up to the glorious princess and beamed fondly at her with glistening violet eyes that could've mirrored her own. "But please do tell me whom this groom is."

"You have yet to have heard of him," Celestia admitted. "He is from the Haynce Kingdom, Prince Victor the third."

"The one who wrestled and slain the monstrous Cancer crab of the moonlit fields? And the prince who issued and presented the first ceremonial award to the first award winning mare string star, Viola?"

"The prince in those wickedly awesome shaving cream ads," Spike questioned with an equal amount of squeal detecting excitement.

"The dashing prince who is today known as the best designer expert from miles around in the top ten column," Rarity squealed girlishly. Celestia smiled and nodded to ensure their eager questions.

"OH MY! HOW'S MY MANE? Twilight, you most certainly need several more dresses for the wedding! I am sure that you play a critical role in this event!"

"As we were discussing Ms. Rarity," Luna pressed on, after pursing her lips in a tight grip in her mouth. "My sister must make her decision with me in…." She glanced timidly at Celestia, who shook her head gracefully.

"My wedding is in three days," Celestia answered, while exiting the glowing throne room. "And by the next issued sun, prior to the length of the trip on carriage, Rarity, that is when your decision must be made. Forgive me for giving such a brief amount of time, dear, but time is valuable in such a valuable time. Come my sister; you have a moon soon to raise." But once Princess Luna had exited with a wonderful amount of effortless grace, Princess Celestia poked her head out at the threesome. "And remember your options; to die the reluctant death, to break this bond, or to swear the oath of single blessedness. Do forgive me, Rarity, my trusted student, and my loyal scribe."

Once the threesome had bowed and the princesses had left, Rarity freely fell on her bottom to sob. "WHY? Why must fate be so cruel and devastatingly agonizing?"

"Sh, Rarity, it is a distinguishably ancient law that not even the princesses their selves can change or disobey. It is so sacred that its strict generations even terrified it being proclaimed in the auras of bonded and deadly risky loves. I, myself, disapprove of it. In fact, I have a, um, acquaintance whom did and probably still faced a similar problem." This made both Rarity and Spike stand to peer almost desperately at their book-hugging friend. "You two must really be in love huh," Twilight joked, before Spike glared sternly at her and froze her joking perspective.

"This is serious, Twilight. I am in love with Rarity, and we must find out a new way to ignore death and ignore a bond never continued." Even the tone of his voice stilled Twilight, for she had never heard such a trustfully honest and emotional tone come out from her brotherly assistant and friend.

"Please darling," Rarity plead while grasping Twilight's front hooves. "What did this acquaintance of yours do about this unrequited love?"

To her dismay, Twilight knew that this particular 'acquaintance' was far to familiar to them both than they knew and she'd like to think. The mare was and to her knowledge still is with another mare, which was illegal under the same code. The only difference between her and this situation was was that this mare was too terribly stubborn to confess or even reveal it to others. And even if it kept her and her secret love safe, there was no telling how many times Twilight had caught the pegasus being caught on the verge of spreading it around in a jumble of her speech.

_"And that's why you should fly straight forward in warm currents. Hey! I remember facing one myself with my unrequited love for F- op!"_

_"Remember that time we came back here when I fell into a tree and my girl- op! Never mind!"_

_"Twi! Fluttershy! I love it when you guys are there for me in these drilling times! As long as you don't get grouchy my l- op!" _

Day by day, week by week, her babbling was getting to be as tragic as Pinkie Pie's, and that was saying something! And aside from the pegasus alone, who was she to predict when she'd finally snap it out? After all, didn't it take at least several dozen attempts from Pinkie Pie before she exploded out one kept secret out of the juicy three from her friends on Fluttershy's final modeling day? Who's to say that she'd zip her lip and keep this bubbling secret forever?

"Well-"

"Twilight! Spike! Rarity! You've got to help me!" They all turned to a sweaty Fluttershy, who's mane and coat were ruffled from dashing from her home to the royal Equestrian kingdom without any rest stops. "I…have…a….problem…." She weeded out heavily before flopping on her belly.

"Bet it's not as sick as ours," Spike grunted in spite. "Rarity's not gonna love me anymore!"

"That or one of us has to die," Rarity sniffed hopelessly, avoiding Fluttershy's teal eyes.

"Or Rarity is never to love another romantically," Twilight added with a hint of anger for her dear friends. Why was such a harsh law invented by Prince Cere anyway? Was his life on his golden throne that dull?

"That's terrible," Fluttershy cried in her usual soft voice. "But you two are….in love?"

"Does this prove it," Rarity asked flirtatiously and dipped the lovesick Spike in a quick but loving kiss. Twilight rolled her eyes, and yet smiled contently at their affection, and Fluttershy blushed to herself.

"I-I guess it does," Fluttershy replied with a hint of grave envy. The goofily loving couple failed to notice it, yet Twilight didn't.

"Fluttershy?" She examined her shy friend with a concerned gaze. "Do tell me what has been troubling you."

"I'm….not myself around….this other pony."

"Explain." Fluttershy kept her gaze on the ground before continuing.

"W-Well, this-um- pony has been visiting a lot. At first, I didn't mind. But now, it's troublesome. S-The pony hasn't hurt me, Twilight, if that's what you're thinking. But…I get….butterflies in my stomach….What's the matter with me? I'm not addicted to anything? Am I going insane? Maybe an appointment is needed-"

"Ugh Fluttershy!" Twilight grabbed her friend's shoulders and whispered with a small laugh, "You're just in love. And from what I've heard, the lucky colt's-"

"She's a-" Fluttershy swallowed a huge lump in her throat and avoided eye contact. "She's uh-uh mare, Twilight." Twilight soon knew another reason why her friend, the elemental holder of the element of kindness, was so hesitant with her situation. It was the exact same problem that she was just dealing with Rarity and Spike! When would life ever give her a break?

"Gee Fluttershy," Twilight giggled sheepishly. "Spike and Rarity have the-uh-same problem."

"Then what ever should we do?"

"I GOT IT!" Spike, giddy and twirling Rarity around, hopped up and down and bellowed, "We flee from Equestria to the Zecora's hut!"

"Spike," Twilight scolded with a frown. "Are you mad? The trip itself is dangerous and who's to say what you all will do next after Zecora grows tired of her 'guests?'"

"I agree with Twilight, love," Rarity admitted apologetically. "What would we do after?"

"In the Everfree Forest, there's plenty of room for a new space! And besides, you, me, Flutttershy, her-um- mare friend, and Twilight are in this together!" This made his purple friend whirl to him and look him straight and dead on in the eye.

"Spike, I'm most definitely not-"

"Please Twilight," Fluttershy begged from behind her. "You're our only friend who knows about our problems. I'm not taking her with me, for she'd get upset if she'd be told. I just…I need some space. And Twilight, the princesses will never suspect you to be hiding us!"

"She very well could," the librarian disagreed. Yet after narrowing it down with her own perspective, she growled inwardly at the new discovery of curiosity bubbling in her system. Oh heck! It was either this or face the interrogation without her missing friends, and wouldn't that lead to a closer discovery and series of punishments? "Oh Celestia…..Fine, I'm in." And yet, Twilight growled again quietly to herself under their cheers and series of 'thank you' s."

Suddenly, a flash of a misty rainbow surrounded and plummeted to us, and the last contestant herself entered in all of her glory.

"Hey guys," Dash greeted, oblivious to the giggles coming from a very close and intimate pair, Spike and Rarity. "What's going on? I heard about the wedding with the princess and all but-"

"There's a wedding," Fluttershy asked while stepping closer to Dash. The pegasus put on a smug smirk and nodded.

"Pinkie told me, and are any of you going to miss in on the second act of my spiral sensational and enclosing rainbow swirl?"

"We just might," Spike whispered, but Twilight quickly covered his and Rarity's mouths with an almost too wide smile. Dash peered at her book nook friend with a small smile.

"And why's that?"

"They're not so sure," Twilight replied with a warning tone. "At least, I'm not the one who should be the main source of a secret, wouldn't you agree Dash?" This made the pegasus tense up before giving Twilight a disappointed pout.

'Tell me,' Dash mouthed with a snarl.

'Only when you tell her,' Twilight replied without her throat activated.

'A secret for a secret?' But before Twilight could refuse, both Spike and Rarity managed to slink away from Twilight and embrace each other protectively.

"Darling," Rarity almost slurred with rosy cheeks. "We're, we're in love!"

"No we're not," Spike disagreed, while suavely dipping a blissful Rarity and pecking her cheek. "We're MADLY in love!"

"Okay…." Rainbow Dash began to feel an involuntary chill when glancing between a knowing Twilight and a humming Fluttershy. Should she tell her? Well if an escape plan was involved and detected from pure instincts, Dash would've been completely safe while doing it! But before she even opened her mouth, Fluttershy began to quietly notice and confess to Dash.

"Dash? Oh…Listen…I'm running away, too. It's just…..Don't tell anyone else! You see….I really like this one mare but…." Dash's whole world fell in those six words, yet her timid friend continued. "But….her actions are….irrational and….too broad for me to comprehend." This made Dash's face go red in anticipating anger. How dare they hurt her Flutters. Oh, they were going to get a taste of their own motherly devised medicine form the Wonderbolt's mercy! And mercy was eternally denied for that mystery mare or…it might've been a colt. For the only thoughts that occurred to Dash evolved around a merciless plot of vengeance for her mare!

"Well," Rarity brightly chirped, interrupting the gloomy silence soon after. "Spike, dear, we must dissolve from the common roads. But do pack! Twilight, make sure he packs!"

"I will," Twilight promised, while dragging Spike along with her levitation powers. "Come on, Spike. We have a quick meal to consume, another to pack, and a trip to plan thanks to hormones! See you guys there!"

"Likewise," Fluttershy agreed before pulling a very stunned Dash into a brief hug. "S-See you, Dash. And please, do not tell a soul!" Dash only nodded, and the light blue pegasus observed her friends, as the exited through the front entrance.

"Great," Dash hissed while pacing. "I saw how she was staring at Spike, and that mare….Oh, that mare is getting a taste of my hooves! My hooves caked in dirt and shoved up her cursed head! Nopony abuses Flutters! No one acts boldly around that shy mare! That's MY job!" The pegasus glanced tentatively around for anypony who could've witnessed, and she continued with a scarlet red face. "She should've told me. Why didn't she? Is that mare that abusive or….that…special? UGH! And Twilight! I should've never told her! She might tell Flutters and those lovebirds out in the Everfree Forest….Alone and-" Dash's eyes widened, as a devious idea soon developed in her mind. "Then Flutters, being afraid of that forest, must be protected by yours truly, Dash, the holder of the element of loyalty! Duh! This is going to work! I just know it! And maybe she'll…." As Dash flew off with a confident chuckle, she added in a hushed tone. "She may just give me a-a chance."

**The characters from the original series may be a bit OOC; Sorry! Anyway, please review for a somewhat fan parody author!**


	2. Chap 1: Whither wander you?

Chapter 1

In the humble acres of the Apple family farm, a pony with a tangy orange coat and a mane of white golden hair was bucking apples with her older brother, whom was a fiery red pony with a single straw in his mouth. Big Macintosh knew his little sister like the day of his very birth, and he knew that something exciting was to happen, judging by her melodic humming.

"What's the hummin' fer, lil' sis," Macintosh asked, while keeping his bright green eyes on his next bucking tree. His little sister, meanwhile, giggled to herself.

"Oh nothin' too fancy, Mac," Applejack managed to fully answer without laughing. "It's just that our sunlight princess has finally found a groom-" She was soon tackled by three cutie mark crusaders, whom were either frowning or giggling in shock.

"Really sis," Apple bloom squealed from above Applejack's ribs. Her auburn eyes sparkled at the thought if Celestia wearing Equestria's most innocent and divine wedding dress. "FINALLY! She's kinda gettin' old!"

"Mind your manners," Applejack reprimanded but soon grinned dreamily. "And I sure do think our princess is gonna need some flower girls, don't yah think Mac?"

"Eyeup," Mac agreed, before leaving the mares to their selves and seeking a hefty glass of apple juice.

"Really?" Sweetie Belles' lavender eyes soon grew sparkly as well, and both ponies began to hop up and down in crazed glee. "Oh Apple bloom! Scootalo! We may finally receive our cutie marks for participation or what not!" But as her two best friends were squealing in delight, their friend, Scootalo, only blew a lock of her magenta hair to the side and groaned.

"Big deal! I'd rather get a cutie mark for assisting Hawk then a stupid wedding!" This made Sweetie Belle gasp and Apple bloom roll her eyes. Hawk was in their rivaling crusader class of colts, and he and his two brothers Eel and Lupus, were known for bullying them outside of school hours on occasional occasions. They always claimed that the mares were nit wits and were going to be tumbled by the colt gang once they receive their cutie marks before them. Apple bloom secretly understood why the colt fillies were so darn rude to them mares for attention, after receiving a rather dull but helpful speech from Applejack. Unfortunately, Scootalo, being the toughest one, was oblivious in her anger, and Sweetie Belle was just down right terrified of them. And basically, neither mare was exactly fond for the colts, and they assumed that their loathing bond was shared.

"That's a mighty risky deed Scoot," Apple bloom warned, just before a bubbly Pinkie Pie entered their acred and stable farm through the gate.

"What's so risky girls," Pinkie asked with a wide smile and a hint of curiosity in her crystal blue eyes. Sweetie Belle shyly approached the pink each pony.

"Pinkie, there are these three colts whom I'm afraid will ruin our wedding plan-"

"You're too young to get married!" This made all of the three fillies sweat drop and Sweetie belle also turn as red as Snow White's treat. "What will Rarity think?"

"No Pinkie, _Celestia's _wedding!" Pinkie Pie blew a boisterous sigh of relief before eloping the crusaders in a tight hug.

"Phew! That's a relief! You guys want a secret for a secret?" She smirked and withdrew a sealed message to Apple bloom. "Because apparently, I haven't heard of your three new friends yet." Apple bloom scanned over the letter before reading it detail by detail. Suddenly, Sweetie Belle gasped and pointed out the signature at the bottom.

"It's them," she squeaked. Apple bloom and Scootalo exchanged looks that held a mixture of pity, irritation, and fear before reading the letter in unison.

_"Dear Friends,_

_we have just arrived at the infamous labyrinth of non other than the disharmonious draconequus, Discord. And if you're too chicken to cave in and see for yourself, then you probably didn't know that he'd been turned to stone by the Mane Six. Anyway since we happen to be holding your badges hostage, surely you ladies will accompany us into getting them back at seven in the evening tonight. Be there, and face a real challenge. _

_With pride,_

_Hawk, Eel, and Lupus_

_P.S.: Eel requests we bring snacks and guardians. We've got chips, so you can either bring soda or sweets, preferably sweets since we're likely to reach a lake. Oh and Pinkie Pie, that party planner, is our chaperone. You must bring one, unless you're willing to be tattled on! ; _

"The gall of them," Scootalo shouted, crumpling the small, sauce stained letter into a tiny ball and throwing it to Apple bloom to dispose of.

"I know," Sweetie Belle sighed. "They could've brought their own snacks and let us take our two chaperones!"

Apple bloom, with a small, crafty smirk, disposed of the letter into the nearest trash bin and approached the three other ponies. "That's not the point, Sweetie Belle. We must get back our ol' badges. They're prizes and essential to our education."

"And don't forget me!" Pinkie Pie huddled the three in a small circle and displayed a small list of her favorite songs. "We need to plan a dancing prancing party in the labyrinth because that Discord guy was a pretty good dancer, and I think it's appropriate to call this a search _and_ a dance party, right girls?" The three crusaders pondered over the bubbly party planner's idea before Scootalo stomped and whooped in glee.

"Then I'll show that little birdie brain named Hawk how a crusader should REALLY move it!" The bright orange filly whirled around in glee and took ahold of both her best friends' hooves in a brief twirl.

"We-," Sweetie Belle started. "We won't hurt them, will we?"

"It's your own choice doll," Apple bloom comforted. "But to be on the safe side, Scoot's not going to take it easy on them. And frankly, after all the annoying pranks they've pulled on us, why the heck shouldn't I?"

"Because if you do," another Southern, but older voice answered from behind them. "It'll result in a sisterly spanking."

"But they're so rude AJ," Apple bloom whined to her older sister's face. Applejack only sighed tiredly and nodded to a grinning Pinkie.

"That'll be enough. Y'all free to roam but not harass some young friends of yours just because you don't like them sometimes. Take it from me; you can't choose your friends."

"I know," Pinkie agreed dramatically, while leaping over the crusaders and embracing Applejack. "Hey AJ! Come with us! They're taking snacks and need guardians!" This made the bucking pony turn red and glare at the threesome.

"What in tarnation is she here sayin'?"

"That they're challenging us for our badges back, Applejack," Sweetie Belle peeped. And to the four other ponies' relief, Applejack realized her misunderstanding of the situation and quickly composed herself.

"And they're NOT our friends," Scootalo huffed, turning away from AJ and Pinkie's smirks.

"Alrighty then," Applejack beamed. "I guess I've got enough time to kill to join you seven."

"WOO HOO!" Pinkie Pie whirled the cow pony around before shouting, "We're heading into Discord's labyrinth!" Applejack's emerald eyes began to whirl around her skill, and the crusaders gave out a few giggles.

"And why," Applejack panted, while leaning onto their farm's railing. "Why are we doing that?"

"Because that's where our badges are," Sweetie Belle answered with a hint of determination.

"And that's where our future cutie marks are waiting for us," Scootalo raved, while raising her tiny fists in the air. "Say Apple bloom! Do you still have those fake eyeballs?"

If one was to cross look upon a glassy window on the west side of the grand Equestrian castle, one would detect a faint but visible labyrinth made by carefully trimmed grassy shrubs and towering columns conducted by chaos itself. What many ponies have failed to understand over the centuries was the secretive secret under all of chaos' mysterious mysteries; chaos never dies nor is it suddenly able to be attained and/or imprisoned. Chances will always remain high at stake for chaos to plot its happenings and sequences, and not even the Elements of Harmony, that practically are harmony in a nutshell, have yet to demolish the spirit of chaos.

And maybe it was the trick of the eyes or the mists of the night that would create such a belief that the rumbling chuckling around the maze was an illusion. Maybe that was why Discord and his witnesses were unheard of for now.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie has much more interesting tasks that she'd be willing to commit to than this, boys." Hawk rolled his silver eyes at the magician, but turned back to the still statue of a very devastated looking Discord. "You crusaders must be imagining. Trixie is heading out."

"But we saw his eyes move," Eel swore with a hint of doubt in his abnormally high pitched voice. "Honest! Y-You did see the eyes move, didn't you guys?" Lupus only nodded, while keeping his blazing blue eyes on the draconequus statue, yet Hawk answered his unsure friend.

"I did; We did. So just tell Trixie to wait here!" As Hawk crossed his golden hooves together and smirked, he could've sworn that he heard the faint noise of cement cracking.

"You hush," Trixie snapped. "It's already enough that Trixie has no supportive or even sympathetic fans anymore. But to have some kiddish group of filly colts mock and ridicule her practical sense of judgement is-is inhumane!" But before Trixie could gallop off, Eel grabbed her glistening but slightly faded cerulean cape.

"We promise that our eyes did not deceive us," Eel hiccuped. Growling, Trixie showed no mercy when she tripped Eel with her cape and pushed Hawk and Lupus aside.

"Then Trixie does pity you three-"

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" Trixie gulped and backed further away from the statue and more toward the nearby maze's entrance.

"T-Tell Trixie that was one of you three losers."

"Who're you calling losers Medusa," Hawk shouted irritably. She wasn't the worse of his problems right now, for they belonged to the escaping and shadowed prisoner not too far away. Eel began to tremble and sweat damply, while Lupus glared with clenching fists.

"Show yourself," Lupus demanded with a snarl.

"I'd be happy to, colt crusaders." The stranger, non other than Discord, lazily stretched, cracked his long, furry neck, and hopped onto an appearing cloud and hovered over them. "It's so nice that you've decided to join my clan."

"Actually," Eel replied. "We're here for the-" Lupus slammed his friend's mouth and continued for him.

"We-We'd be happy to." Both Lupus and Hawk ignored Eel's glare. They were only committing to this so that they'd be able to earn their draconequus slaying cutie marks before those snotty filly mares do. They didn't exactly add it in the certain letter they sent, but hey, that made the game more interesting! And even Hawk had to admit to himself, they could almost cause those three fillies their friends. Almost.

"Perfect! I just have a teeny tiny task for you right now!" Discord then swirled around the tense Eel before circling a very dumbfounded Trixie.

"How did you escape? Trixie has heard of you, and Trixie demands an answer!" But once she met those mismatched, unforgiving mahogany eyes, she clamped her mouth shut with a teeny bite on her bottom lip.

"Well if it isn't the Great and Powerful Trixie," Discord gasped mockingly, while fiddling with the light blue magician's starry hat. "Even when lovely, boastful, and sophisticated, she lacks the benefits of magic and didn't have the courage to rise above….What's her name?" Trixie growled and snatched her elegant hat back on her head.

"Says you stone face," Trixie cackled. "At least I managed to breath with my free mouth!" But during Trixie's cackles, the three crusaders nearby backed up when Discord's gaze grew fiery. He snapped his lion paw fingers, and Trixie's hat soon flew off and without her. "Wait!" She dashed after it and into the misty labyrinth, where the hat had loomed off. "Wait! WAIT! COME BACK!"

"Trixie," Lupus called and galloped after, before Discord blew through his police whistle and held his lion paw over Lupus' face.

"Halt under the title of disharmony, gentlemares. Or else your positions on this plan of mine are soon to falter and succumb to consequences." He ran his eagle claw hand over his short, wispy locks of snow white hair before continuing. "Where's the fun? Sorry, I just had to try that whole jig out! Boy, I feel ALIVE! Any who, here's the main dish, boys." He disappeared and soon reappeared next to Hawk. "You three are responsible for leading your little filly friends into the jumble and deliver this flower to the groom himself."

"What groom," Eel questioned. Discord, Hawk, and Lupus rolled their eyes and mouthed, 'Victor.' "Oh yeah….My cousin has a major crush on that prince."

"Too bad for her then," Lupus sighed with a small smile. "Because Princess Celestia is getting married to him…." His eyes met Discord, and the plan managed to click and fall into place. "You're in love with our princess?"

"Has been but not has now," Discord responded. "I just want you three, with these-" He clapped and snapped his hands and fingers, before a proportional amount of supernaturally forced invisibility eloped around them. "With these waves, you'll remain unseen. And with this flower-" He dropped the three bright orange vials in their direction, and the three light purple vials were dropped to them as well. "The poppy, the orange flower in the vial, is only to be used in my consent for hitting the sleepy sack. While the nightshade, the purple flower in the vial is to be applied to the eyes and used lightly. It will make any creature dote on the next living creature he or she sees. And if you use it on me, children, your consequences will hold not a caress of mercy. Questions?" The three colts only gawked at the villain's clever plan. So with a satisfied nod, Discord smirked and dissolved right into the labyrinth.

"Best not keep them waiting. Enter now. Oh, this will be simply priceless! HA!"

"Face it Twilight," Spike rebuked with a disappointed pout and flop on his knees. "We're lost, and Fluttershy was supposed to meet us an hour ago!"

"I can't say I'd blame her my sweet," Rarity sighed with her heart out for the poor shy pegasus. "Poor darling! She's probably forgetting about that mare as we speak!"

"Yeah but what I don't get is…." Spike twiddled his thumbs in embarrassment before continuing. "Well…Out of all of us, she would be the, um, the mare who likes a mare." Rarity nodded in understanding through the thick foggy clouds around them and nuzzled him lovingly.

"It's perfectly acceptable to be skeptical, Spike. I myself took it as quite an unexpected surprise. Didn't you, Twilight? Twilight?" For a few moments, Twilight paid her friends no heed. Now being the leader of the 'visit' in the Everfree Forest and to Zecora was the next and most critical step. 'Thank Canterlot that I wrote to her to warn her of our arrival,' she thought positively to herself in relief. 'But now, how do we escape this cloudy fog?'

"Twilight? Did the princess report any foggy days this week before," Spike asked earnestly, now taking note of the murky and thickening fog surrounding them in the middle of Ponyville.

"Surprisingly no, Spike." Twilight levitated her sturdy satchel of handy books and supplies and magically lifted a thick book on_ 'Equestrian disasters in nature and in the streets' By Sue Amber_. Inside she skittered through several vivid pages before she came across an image of ponies in the mists and middle of a dense fog. "But it says here that Equestrian fogs are rooted from either nature's lively design or black magic."

"Well Twilight," Rarity approached her friend with a small giggle. "You haven't been having too many breakdowns, now have you?" Twilight chuckled heartily and shook her head.

"Nope. It must be just a teeny mistaken wind that brought it here or-" A deep, rumbling chuckle interrupted Twilight's reply.

"Teeny wind," the mysterious voice drawled. "You've underestimated me, Twilight Sparkle. I am deeply offended!" Twilight's violet eyes narrowed into thin slits; she knew that mocking voice all too well from one chaotic encounter.

"Discord," Rarity squeaked. "Oh HOW did he escape, Twilight?"

"Yeah!" Spike frowned and spun around in circles with raised fists. "Show yourself and explain to my girl and I how you've escaped!" Rarity sighed at her courageous love, yet fear still penetrated her heart.

Suddenly, the spirit of chaos himself appeared in the mists and snapped his fingers to clear the aisle. There, behind him once more, was his shrubs in a confusing and mind-swirling maze. "Nice entrance, eh? I figured that the mood these days is to 'cool off' and, yah know, you're all going to have to run so much here and-"

"What do you want," Twilight snapped. "And how did you even escape the prison? The Elements of Harmony sealed you in!" Discord let our an amused snort before slinking to Twilight.

"Again, you've underestimated me. Chaos is free and everywhere you turn!" Discord leapt and spun them around in several circles in the air before setting them down. And with a second thought, Discord once again slid his eagle claw over Twilight's cheek.

"Eep! Don't do that!" Discord only smirked and ran his claws threw her straight indigo mane.

"What," he asked with feigned ignorance. "This-"

"Leave Twilight alone,"Rarity intervened with shaky hooves. "Or else-"

"Or else what, duchess? You're hopeless! Do you really think that you can get your beloved goody and bride-to-be princess to save your sorry selves and give you the Elements of Harmony when you're not all assembled nor faithful to Equestria's laws?" This stunned the threesome in an uncomfortable silence, and Discord cackled madly with tears stinging his eyes. "You three are HILARIOUS! HA!"

"So it _does_ involve the princess," Twilight continued with a collected expression. Discord ceased from his cackling and nodded somewhat drunkly.

"I guess I should suggest that there's no other way to the Everfree forest, in case you aren't able to see for yourselves! Ooh! And the groom might….well…fall in love with somepony else…." This made the threesome glare at the amused draconequus and step into the entrance of the maze.

"Let's do this," Spike cheered. "And guys, maybe our friends are near!"

"But even if they are," Rarity added with an unsure frown. "What if he's lying? He's prior to do that, Twilight!" Twilight knew this for a fact, being that he was chaos in a personified form. But if they didn't do it, what choice would they have then to head on back and let Discord run loose? And even if they reported their findings, Twilight knew that Spike and Rarity would never face any day without the regrets of an impossible and illegal bond. They'd drag their selves, wondering what if they had just pressed on and continued to adore each other willingly without it being disgraceful or illegal?

"I don't know," Twilight replied honesty. "But what other choice do we have? Besides, Discord deserves to be stopped." And with a nod to Spike and to Rarity, Twilight lead them deeper and deeper into the treacherous labyrinth. Soon, however, the mares failed to realize their mistake not remembered, and the three were trapped into individual columns like lab rats.

"Will you ponies ever learn," Discord mocked. "Because Twi hun, this whole challenge you're putting on here is nothing but a boring droll so far!"


	3. Chap 2: Does one deserve such scorn?

Chapter 2

Twilight groaned lowly to herself, refusing to give up on such a course. She trotted her friends into this chaotic maze, and it was her who was going to assist them out. "Okay guys! Remember what we did before, Rarity! And Spike; just go through the maze until you come across a friendly face. Got it?"

"I do, Twi!"

"We're coming, darling!" And soon, the threesome set off into their individual courses, failing to realize that Discord was watching their intentions. He slithered down to where the glamourous mare was and snapped his fingers. And soon, Rarity's path was blocked by several thick, most vines that looped and tangled around the space in front of her. Rarity's still pedicured hooves had barely missed the vines, almost causing her to tumble into the tangled but seemingly natural mess. "Oh how terrible! I cannot seem to cross!" With a pondering expression, Rarity almost tapped the vines when she squeaked and pulled them back. "I still have my-" Her pearl white horn had soon disappeared, and the sudden shriek she had heard from her position indicated that Twilight's horn had been robbed as well. Who Rarity had failed to notice was the now invisible Eel, who knew that this mare was non other than Sweetie Belle's older sister.

'What do I do,' he pondered to himself. Suddenly, the poppy vial began to tremble, slink out of his grip, and skip to Rarity out on its own. "Hey-"

"Who's there?" Rarity began to pant in fear and scanned her surroundings. Failing to find another living soul, Rarity sighed. But soon, her vision was captivated by sleek sprinkles of bright orange dust. The smell was addictive and somehow lifted Rarity's spirit, turning her indigo eyes into a dyed shade of magenta. "Oh….So…Tired…" The mare soon slumped into a brief slumber, and Eel was left to stare at a now appearing Discord in disbelief.

"What was that," he asked in aggravation. "You never said that the vials would move on their own-"

"Do you wish for my assistance or not, crusader?" Eel decided to keep his mouth shut and not confront the draconequus for now. He didn't want to turn back on his brothers, just in case they were still on Discord's side in the process of blackmailing. "Come with me, Ernie."

"Eel," Eel corrected him with a small pout.

"We must proceed with the next one," Discord continued jovially. "And here they are." Discord stretched his lion paw out to the five faint figures in the distance, looking around wildly through Discord's fog. Eel gulped at the shapes, and tried to inch away, only to have Discord push him in front of him to stare at the entering ponies.

"Are we there yet sis," Apple bloom asked for the gazillionth time.

"Yeah," Sweetie Belle whined. "My hooves are so very sore!"

"And I can't fly through this stupid fog," Scootalo mumbled. But then, her magenta eyes widened at the entrance of the labyrinth itself. "There it is, crusaders! Those are where those demonic colts are!"

"LET'S ROLLS!" All three of the crusaders narrowed their gazes and galloped off, leaving no time for Applejack and Pinkie Pie to hurry on after them.

"Wait up, you jackrabbits!"

"Yeah! We haven't even tuned on the entrance tune!" Suddenly, Pinkie stumbled into a tiny filly with big brown eyes, a slippery grey coat, and a jet black mane. "Oh, hi! I'm Pinkie! What's your-ACHOO!" A sudden sprinkle of deep violet dust soon tickled Pinkie's nose but also stirred Eel's insides.

"I'm Eel sugar," Eel whispered with hearts in his eyes. "Do tell me that the mare I see is real!" Pinkie Pie touched her belly, mane and then cheeks to check before giggling.

"Nope rely Eel! I'm pretty real! And so is the rest of the gang! AJ, look! I found a friend!" Pinkie Pie waved to Applejack, who was panting in frustration for not catching up with her little sister and her friends.

"Look sugar cube, we can't continue to dilly dally while-Uh, Pinkie….Why's this filly colt givin' you some odd stare that Big Mac saves for Cheerilee?" Pinkie only laughed, and Eel sighed as it reached his ears in a melodic, almost hypnotic tune.

"Beats me," Pinkie replied honestly. She and Applejack then noticed that Eel had gotten on one knee and held her pink hooves into his.

"Oh Pinkie Piestress! You are my true home, my exotic love! Forever love me as I love you!"

"What in tarnation?" Applejack pushed a confused Pinkie gently to the side and narrowed her gaze at Eel. "Who in Equestria are you to be teasing' my friend? Pinkie, do you know this colt?"

"No but…" Applejack's words began to make sense in Pinkie Pie's usually giddy and upside down perspective of things just for the amusement of it. "But Eel, you're teasing me?"

Eel cupped Pinkie's face, and Pinkie cocked her head and gazed into Eels' now hazel brown eyes. "Never but the truth to you, Pinkie, when I say that I am deeply in love with you." Tears began to fall freely from Pinkie's crystal blue eyes. She had just met this colt, and he was making a mockery of her!

"You must love to tease a poor mare like me!" She let out a sob and dashed further into the labyrinth. Only unintentionally, she went in the opposite direction of the crusaders.

"Pinkie Pie! Sugar Cube!" Applejack gave Eel a disapproving frown before galloping off to weigh her decision down. Pinkie Pie needed her, and the crusaders were stung enough as a group for a few moments. Right?

"I saw them enter in here," Fluttershy whimpered to herself. With a huff, the shy pegasus dashed into the maze and sighed to herself when her wings had disappeared without a trace. "As expected…" A hoof came to her mouth, and Fluttershy screamed into it with all of her might.

"Keep it down, Flutters. Geez, yah want the guards from Equestria to hear you?" Fluttershy set her teal eyes on an unamused Dash and scurried out of her grip. "Why're you so jumpy?" Dash narrowed her rosy eyes at Fluttershy, and the simple expression of annoyance made Fluttershy's heart leap.

"Uh..Don't take this personally, Dash. But I,um, kind of wanted to complete this quest on my-my own." Fluttershy squeezed her teal eyes, afraid that her brave friend of the skies would snap at her. But to her surprise, she heard Dash let out a small chuckle.

"Look, if you want me to deal with this special colt, all you had to do was ask." Dash pumped her fists out in the air and scowled when noticing her wind caressing wings were missing. "Look's like the son of a darn split fit is back! But anyway, that colt's never going to bother you again, Fluttershy!"

To Dash, Fluttershy's gaze made her want to cower in a corner like Fluttershy had done before. "Why are you really here, Dash? J-Just to beat up th-this mare?"

"So it's a mare," Dash muttered in muffled shock. "Fluttershy…wow…I didn't take you as the-" When Fluttershy looked back up, the shrubs near her had ruffled and signaled that a cyan pony was running in the cat mouse chase. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, kicked the dust of the maze and zoomed off in pursuit. However, it wasn't long before Dash noticed a zooming but faint path made from the rather quick lemon yellow pony. Panting after about fifteen minutes of nothing but dashing, Dash's hooves wiggled and gave out near a shimmering pond. Taking a drink from it ,she resumed to a short nap. Being a pegasus with a heart sewn into the skies and to the Wonderbolts, Dash simply wasn't a pony that you'd find on the cross country team.

Soon, Fluttershy ran next to her and began to pant like a sick, overheated dog. "What's…the….deal, Dash?" Pouting and left without another excuse in her overbearing mind repeatedly on the verge of flopping out of her skull, Dash gave in.

"Alright. The reason I came is-"

"HEY!" Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy turned to the now approaching and wobbling Spike. Only for Fluttershy, a cloud of powdery but sweet-smelling violet dust engulfed her vision. "Guys, we thought that you two might have never came."

"I just came to help Fluttershy," Dash replied smugly and turned to Fluttershy, expecting her to dip her head in heated embarrassment and whatnot. Instead, Fluttershy's eyes turned an odd, deep violet shade, and she kept her gaze on a tense Spike.

"I only need help from my one ADORABLE SPIKE!" She leapt to embrace him, and the baby dragon swallowed and simply but unsurely patted her back.

"Uh…Thanks?"

"So Flutters," Dash observed the two with now cold, unforgiving eyes. "That whole ordeal with the mare loving you was…made up I see? Pft, what a rip-off to the crowd!"

"I believe that you're the rip-off my friend," Fluttershy taunted, making Spike cower under Fluttershy's hooves. "Spike is far more adorable and loving than any mare or colt that I've met!" She caressed Spike's lavender scaled face and murmured, "What to comprehend…"

Spike's scales turned dark red in embarrassment, while Dash was equally as red, but in rage and hidden envy. "Flutters, what's gotten into yah?"

"Your presence is no longer needed." Spike pushed Fluttershy off him after her cruel words, and Dash was able to grab her shoulders, even when she struggled with a glare. "Let me go, Dash! I forever am in love with Spike!"

"You don't mean it," Spike chanted and rocked himself like he was going to mental facility. "You don't mean it. You do not mean it!"

"She does mean it. She does mean it!" The owner of the deep, gesturing tone came out from the shadows of where they stood in the middle of the labyrinth. "Isn't it odd," Discord continued with a sly grin. "Flutterguy fell in love with the one and only 'love' of Rare Ti."

"It's _Rarity_," Spike snapped.

"And it's _Fluttershy_," Dash defended, even when still holding a strong grip on the weeping Fluttershy. "And she is NOT in love with Spike!" The cyan pegasus despised seeing her tear up and be depressed in her arms. But if it was for her own honest good and since it was probably the sick draconequus' doing, who was she to freely release one of her closest friends?

"Yes I am," Fluttershy cried out in despair. "Let me come to him!" Rainbow Dash, being the stronger mare in comparison, kept a firm but tender grip on Fluttershy, while Spike backed further and further from the two mares. Studying Dash's scarlet red face and gritted teeth, the pieces have finally fallen into piece, and maybe he should've stayed away from the library's realistic fiction section for a while.

"You love her, huh Dash?" Before the stunned cyan pegasus could mutter a suitable answer, somepony ran into Spike, causing him to tumble into another unidentified pony with deep violet dust. And in a snap, Spike's bright green eyes were dyed forest green, and the nightshade dust worked its magic.

"Oh Applejack…."

Applejack cocked her head at the disheveled and delusional looking baby dragon. Staring into his infected eyes, Applejack leapt off of him and backed away. "Your mane smells of the sweetest of apples! Your eyes enlighten my darkest hours! Oh Applejack, let me see you smile!"

"Well that done do it," Applejack whistled with a small smirk and a tail whip in Fluttershy's direction. "He's drunk. Don't yah think? Alright, you clowns! We've, or at least I've, had enough of your running away trip. We're headin' home! Now please everypony and dragon, help me find-oh! Fluttershy!" The jealous pegasus tripped Fluttershy with a malicious smirk.

"Oops," Fluttershy teased, whiled circling the Southern pony. "Looks like your the drunk one, falling down and around! Oh and by the way AJ? Spike is NOT DRUNK!" The impact of the usually shy and kind Fluttershy's yell made Spike fall into a now entering Twilight's arms and Dash jump and remain slightly startled. And when she attempted to comfort Fluttershy, she was shooed off. "Do not touch me, you ruffian! Spike and I are getting out as one pair like it or NOT!"

"Spike," Twilight whispered into a trembling Spike's ear. "What's going on here?" Soon, she was met face to face by the antagonist himself.

"Can't you see it for yourself, hun?" He gingerly picked up Twilight and laid her on the top of a fairly sturdy shrub above them. "Fluttershy is in love with Spike, whereas Spike has just expressed his love for Applejack! And about Pinkie…."

"It can't be," Twilight proclaimed in disbelief and hopped off the shrub and to her quarreling friends. "And by the way, stop calling me that!"

"What hun?"

"That," Twilight growled. "Look Discord, I have no idea what you are up to, but I swear that I will come out with my _calm and collected_ friends even if it kills me!"

"Whoa sweetheart," Discord teased. He teleported and began to stroke her mane from behind. "That's a pretty big commitment you got there!" His smile widened when he noticed the sudden blush that crept on the librarian's cheeks.

"Stop that!" He shrugged and slinked away before petting an agitated Rainbow Dash's head.

"Oh it's not I who needs to be stopped, hun," Discord warned. "For it's the sting in the heart that leads to where this curse had begun."

Meanwhile, a freaked out Pinkie Pie was attempting, again attempting, to escape the sight of one very lovesick stranger. "Help," she wailed. "I need a can a pepper spray and, uh." She paused to the sudden rumbling of her tummy. "It's alright, littler guy! Soon you'll be fed and-"

"My crystal love!"

"GAH! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Hey Pinkie?"

"WHAT?" Her eyes were now insanely and dangerous wide and dilated. Her panting and stare made the three crusaders slowly back away from Pinkie Pie.

"We can distract him for you," Apple bloom offered with a convincing smile.

"Yeah," Scootalo agreed while shoving Sweetie Belle in the sprinting Eel's direction. "And Sweetie Belle here was sweet enough to volunteer."

"No I was NOT," Sweetie Belle argued with a tiny pout that was easy to detect on her lips. "Eel's probably only playing-"

"A word, crusaders?" Scootalo rounded her friends in a tight circle, and hung her head. "Sweetie Belle, there was a time when Eel was 'only playing.'"

"And that was at my birthday party when he and his buddies pretended to fall in love with Diamond Tiara while I was opening her present," Apple bloom continued. "And since Eel seems to like you best, you're the perfect crusader for the part!"

"You do love to act," Scootalo hinted. Sweetie Belle knew that her friends had a point there, but even that didn't ease her stimulating nerves and churning stomach.

"But-But," Sweetie Belle tensed up. "He won't agree-" But before she could continue, their debate was interrupted by the sound of Pinkie squabbling.

"No No NO! Leave me alone, you party popper!" The poor pink earth pony dodged Eel several times before Sweetie Belle pinned him down, and Pinkie along with the two other crusaders were aloud to escape.

With one push, Eel had easily shoved Sweetie Belle off of timid under his glare, Sweetie Belle only gave Eel a tiny, shaky smile. "H-Hi there, Eel."


	4. Chap 3: Whom woos in scorn?

Chapter 3

**Boy, I hope you guys are liking this so far! It is somewhat confusing like my other fan stories, but it's worth a try! And just in case you're still lost, Spike is in love with Rarity, but the flower is making him fall for Applejack. Fluttershy is now in love with Spike idly, and Rainbow Dash is more correctly unaffected and ticked. Meanwhile, Eel is in love with Pinkie Pie from the flower, and they've never met! Oh, and there are more 'floral' and 'honest' pairings to come! Stay tuned!**

Twilight Sparkle had just about had it when her friends were first considered acquaintances and she had to go through their spontaneous conversations and habits of constantly sticking to her when she moved to Ponyville to defeat Nightmare Moon. She had just about had it when facing the very same draconequus and her obnoxiously corrupted friends, and she had also just about had it when she found out that her older brother's bride-to-be was kidnapped and impersonated by a changeling queen with a heart full of greed and glory lust.

But now, she was on the verge of insanity. She had just been dragged into Discord's labyrinth to protect her two love birdie friends and help them reach their destination far from Equestria. And if that wasn't enough, Twilight knew for certain that she was disobeying her very princess, committing an illegal action, and doing all of this when she could've been tidying the library or enjoying another one of her newly delivered books! But now, Twilight was faced with the horrifying truth that she'd have to play matchmaker or whatever to string her friends and their buddies out of this cursed jumble thanks to one recurring toothy draconequus whom doesn't give her a break!

Once Discord left her in a moment of peace with her not so peaceful friends, Twilight huffed and faced a worrisome Applejack. "Do yah really think that there' s a special cure to this one trick to the eye, sugar cube?" Twilight mustered up a confident grin to Applejack before shielding her form a crazed baby dragon.

"Listen Spike," Twilight calmly, slowly soothed. "You are in love with Rarity, whereas Applejack is in love with, well…" The cow pony blushed before mouthing 'Spitfire.'

"Really," Rainbow Dash perked up for a moment, while trying to hold down a squealing Fluttershy. "That's great, AJ! I'll ask him for yah-Hey, Flutters! What gives?" The cyan pegasus was soon gripped by an enraged Fluttershty.

"What gives?" She jerked the pegasus' rainbow mane and threw her off her feet. "I'll tell you what gives, you harassing chum! I'm in love with Spike, and your stubborn little self just cannot accept it! In fact, why don't' you chase after some other pony who adores your pathetic attention! Like…" Her teal eyes whirled to the back of her head in thought before they snapped to an optional mare. "You like mares. Why not Rarity? She must be in this dumpy maze somewhere!" Spike and Dash gawked at Fluttershy's spiteful suggestion, while Applejack and Twilight only shook their heads in frustration.

"I cannot allow that," Spike shouted a bit too angrily at the smirking Fluttershy. The lemon yellow pegasus only scooped him up and nuzzled him, sticking her tongue at a very concerned Applejack.

"Rarity is Spike's girlfriend Fluttershy," Applejack tried to remind her. She even managed to set her strong built hooves on the fuming pegasus. "And you know that." Yet, Applejack only received a dry cackle and a harsh shove to the ground.

"We'll just see about that, little miss 'Honesty!' In that case Dash, why don't you spend your time with another looser so that your worthless bond will increase! Like…" Her eyes set on a very stern-faced bookworm. "Twilight. Fair choice, huh?"

"GROSS!" Twilight let out a shriek in disgust, while Dash sought for some place to barf. She chuckled evilly before reaching out to the panicking Spike. The baby dragon scurried off, calling 'save me' during the chase.

"You Spike are going to LOVE ME!"

"What a splendid turn of events," Applejack murmured. "Well the bright side of this is is that I'm not being chased." This made Twilight scowl, and Applejack quickly followed her.

"That's all swell, AJ. But it's only because not only is Spike infected, but Fluttershy's three times worse! Maybe…That's it!"

"Wuh," Rainbow Dash moaned in grief, clutching her thundering stomach after vomiting under the nearby shrubs. "Is-Is we gonna get…Flutters?"

"Not only that," Twilight beamed, while aiding Dash with a raised hoof. Dash happily took it, and both Twilight and Applejack supported their temporarily sickened friend by having her arms drape over their backs. "But because Fluttershy was in the labyrinth with us and corrupted and Spike wasn't, that may lead to why Spike's less….intolerant."

"Yah gettin' somewhere Twi," Applejack agreed. "However, the main point now is how are we gonna cure this hocus pocus before it's all eternal and stays? Imagine…" She shuddered at the repulsive thought. "Spike in love with me…More gross than when Apple bloom scarfed down a full patter of rotten eggs on our national family dare holiday." Dash clutched her stomach and gave the cow pony a firm look, silencing her.

"Sorry…I just need to find Fluttershy," Dash admitted with a tiny blush around her cheeks. "I just want my original friends back just as much as you guys do."

"And we're going to get them," Twilight promised. "We just need to find a suitable and accurate remedy to….I believe that I need this!" Twilight levitated her _'Herbs and their siblings, guide' By Pea See _

"What's that gonna do," Dash slurred. "It's only an herbal book, right?"

"On the contrary," Twilight carefully scanned the table of contents until her eyes came upon Section Three, the Black Magic plants. "Here's some stuff. Hmm…Physical abuse? No. Mental? Not intentionally on the magical basis. Spiritually? Would've done it by now. Toxic plants? Not hoping for it. And….Manipulative plants? Gotcha!" She hovered over the fifth chapter and took in the keen information detail by detail. "_Manipulative plants come in wide varieties varying from plants expressed from loathing and/or loving_….That's it! Okay….The opium poppy? _Said to have been used on the famous Equestrian battle with the changelings several hundred years ago when the ancient guards of the court were found in deep stretching comas surrounding the now deflowered poppies. It was said that these poppies lured them asleep by its morphine chemicals derived from the flower's smell. " _

"But what about the love spell," Applejack questioned.

"It connects to the poppies," Twilight pointed out. And the deep purple dust…I saw a couple of sprinkles before I arrived! And that must've came from the deadly nightshade flower, said to have been used to murder several rivaling rulers. The flower can be applied lightly or roughly to the eyelids or…That's IT! The flowers are being used by invisible forces to poison our friends!"

"Now that you mention purple dust," Applejack confessed with one dazed look into the late starry sky painted from Princess Luna's dark canvas. "I've seen some peculiar sprinkles that come close to what yah have been talking about."

"I agree. Besides, what other explanation could their be?" Twilight stared at Dash for a brief moment, wondering if Dash's confidence was meant to bring up or disregard. Seeing how the sky wasn't going to stay pitch black forever, Twilight had no other choice but to nod and continue leading.

"Look Scoot!" Scootalo giggled at Apple bloom, who's auburn eyes were 'replaced' with forest green ones. "Give me the sky blue ones, and I'll impersonate…Who do you think I should try to act as?"

"Yourself," Scootalo teased. "Because we still gotta look for Pinkie Pie if I do not recall. Besides, Sweetie Belle may still be struggling to get that Eel sap's attention off of the mare!"

Apple bloom glanced behind her worriedly for any other pony or sign of visibly breathing life before turning back to Scootalo. "Do you think it was…wrong for us to leave Sweetie Belle with such a task?"

"Of course not," the orange filly disagreed with her chin raised high and eyes closed. "Our buddy is strong enough!"

"So is Eel," Apple bloom pointed out with narrowed eyes. She didn't want to invent another source for one of her best friend and her petty arguments, but what she had said only came out with concern and not from any judgmental position.

"That weakling is not!"

"Is too!"

"Nope!"

"Too, Scootalo!"

"Don't test my anger, and it's NO!" The two crusaders were soon nose to nose, breathing in nighttime puffs of air through their flaring nostrils. Suddenly, Scootalo's ears rose to the sound of a pony gurgling and groaning. "I know that groan, far too much…" Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Scoot! What in-" Her tomboyish friend leapt in the air and seemed to have fallen on the ground. But to Apple bloom's shock, the 'ground' dissolved, and Hawk, with two vials, was underneath Scootalo's grip.

"Scootalo! How-"

"You have the greatest groan within mile around," she snapped. "And what were you doing? Playing the invisible colt and holding…What in Ponyville are those?" Apple bloom strolled to their side, grinning like the cheshire cat.

"And to think out of all of us you'd know," Apple bloom mused. Scootalo ignored her for a moment to reach out to the suspicious vials planted on Hawk's side satchels,

"What are those?" Hawk's eyes widened, and he quickly turned his back to the mares.

"None of your business! I've got to find Eel and Lupus so that we can slay Discord and get our cutie marks before you freaks!" Scootalo rolled her eyes and easily jabbed Hawk to the ground, while Apple bloom fought the urge to curse a word that Applejack would usually mumble when failing to buck apples.

"You idiot," Scootalo scolded, while again easily pinning him. "Discord can't die! Spirit of Chaos, turned to_ stone_, no law set….Get it?"

"And even if somepony could the princess is not one to kill even enemies unless it's their fate," Apple bloom pointed out. "Also, how heartless of you to do that!"

"Yeah Yeah Yeah!" Scootalo flipped the dazed colt on his stomach and whooped at her victory. "Got yah now! Now shoot! How'd he get out?" Hawk didn't mumble a word, clearly humiliated for being taken down by a girl, his arch enemy at that. "Answer me, Bird Brain!"

"Apple bloom! Scootalo! What are you doin' to your friend?" Apple bloom fought the urge to roll her eyes at her older sister, who was supporting Scootalo's heroine. Ponyville's friendly librarian, Twilight Sparkle, was supporting her on the other side.

"RAINBOW DASH!" Scootalo immediately hurried over to the cyan pegasus with a small frown. "What happened to you? And your wings!"

"Discord," Dash muttered, while attempting to give one of her biggest friends a smug smirk. "But don't you worry! We're getting out of this cheap lounge and heading out with…Why're you here anyway?" All three of the crusaders blushed, and yet it was Hawk who spoke.

"I kinda wanted Eel, Lupus, and I to slay Discord and earn our slaying draconequus cutie marks!" He shyly avoided Twilight's gaze, for fear of being reprimanded. "But uh….We didn't know that he'd want us to…" He pulled out the poppy and nightshade vials, and everyponty aside from Twilight and Hawk gasped in a mixture of disbelief, wonder, and fear. "I heard that Lupus put one pony to sleep and put the nightshade dust on two others. Sorry…." Scootalo grabbed his ear and stormed off more into the labyrinth.

"Sorry Shmorry! Eel's been infected by the nightshade stuff and in love with Pinkie Pie!"

"What?" Hawk nervously pulled out the vials. "But..But he has one of each of these on his own!" He turned to the three other ponies in shock and mumbled, "You think he'll…use them?" Twilight patted his shoulder sympathetically, and yet gave him a motherly smile.

"Not when we're here to stop him," the bookworm promised. Once her hoof left his shoulder, Hawk blushed a little. Never would he admit to any other pony that he'd had a small crush on Twilight Sparkle since she had moved to Ponyville. For who knows how many more years it would've been if all of the crusaders in his class, colts and mares, would ridicule him about it! And Scootalo would be in the front with her friends….bawling….Bawling at her was his job, and this mess he had caused was one he was going to fix for them all…with help of course!

Once they had ventured further into the maze to search for any familiar face, Hawk lowered his gaze to the ground. "Sorry…"

"You better be," he heard Scootalo threaten, yet Apple bloom gave the headstrong crusader a shove in Hawk's direction. "I mean….We should've told you guys to wait for us I guess. And….We could've asked for our badges back more…politely." Scootalo soon began to stutter from the awkwardness of it all. "A-and, I guess there's a forty sixty blame to share…Sorry, weenie. You're…pretty smart to have come up with this whole slaying thing anyway." This made Hawk grin hopefully at her.

"Really?"

"Okay maybe not so brave," Scootalo admitted with a hint of embarrassment. "Uh…but you were brave. We would've never thought of doing something like that anyway!"

"And above all," Apple bloom added. "Thanks, Hawk. And we'll soon thank the other ones, too! _Right_, Scootalo?"

"Whatever." Scootalo rushed to join the older, leading mares. "Whatever helps you fillies sleep soundly at night!" Hawk only gazed at Scootalo from behind. Never had he imagined that she'd act almost kind to him. Was she ever able to act fully genuine to him? A goofy smile subconsciously spread on Hawk's lips, yet it quickly vanished when Apple bloom elbowed him.

"Never tell anypony when I say that y'all excited her to death about this, especially you. She may have wanted to tumble you down, but I think….She really likes you, Hawk. In fact, when we first met, that's all she ever loved to do with me and Sweetie Belle! And I fought back cause' it was a sure fun event! Sweetie Belle didn't but yah…yah get my point right?" Hawk nodded positively and kept up a more proud stroll.

"Thanks, AB. That means a lot to me!" Soon, his cockiness got the best of him once more, and he shoved the Southern filly's side. "But you'll never get your badges." Apple bloom let out a warm chuckle before shoving him back.

"Don't turn so smug! We haven't even found the others yet!"

While the crusaders with Applejack, Dash, and Twilight were warming up for the challenges ahead, Sweetie Belle was struggling to keep a lovesick Eel in place. "Calm down, Eel," Sweetie Belle cooed and tried to gently lay her hooves on his swaying shoulders.

"Away!" His eyes widened twice in size, sending a shiver down the filly's side. "Pinkie needs me!" But even when he began to gallop off, Sweetie Belle jumped on his mane and gave it a firm tug. He whinnied in pain, but the filly would have none of that.

"You're not being yourself," she tried to explain. "I can see it in your eyes! You're under some spell-"

"SILENCE, JEALOUS WITCH!" Out of the blue, the young colt slapped Sweetie Belle off of him and galloped further off, away from the teary-eyed filly. She limply got up and choked back some thick, salty tears reddening her lovely lime green eyes.

"Come back Eel," she croaked. But then, the poor filly stopped midway. Was she really being jealous? There was no way that she was romantically in love with Eel! Yuck! Eel ate weedy and grain salads for lunch! But when she fought it over, Eel wasn't as repulsive as his name. And to top that off, she suddenly realized that she took him as the sweetest colt in her class! He aided her in projects, helped her carry her books when she was handling her hefty projects, and even gave her the first slice of his vanilla birthday cake! "This cannot be…" She shook her head and dashed in Eel's path. "Help! Somepony! Eel!"

"AHHH!" Sweetie Belle whirled in the opposite direction of her search, wondering which way was best. Deciding that Eel was stubborn enough to remain unharmed for now, Sweetie Belle took off in the direction of the scream.

"Hello? Is anypony there? HELLO! SAY SOMETHING!"

"GET THIS CRAZY PONY OFF OF ME!" When she appeared face to face with the screamer, Sweetie Belle's mouth went agape. A mangily-maned Pinkie Pie held Lupus tightly under her hooves, and her wide eyes put the creepiest critters to shame.

Don't just stand there, Belle!" Lupus wiggled, trying to run away from Pinkie's frightening gaze. "Get her off of me!"

"Give me those vials! A mad colt your age is chasing ME!" Pinkie Pie shook the poor Lupus several times, yet Sweetie Belle was able to calm the party pony down slightly with one question.

"What vials?" Pinkie Pie pointed out the two vials in Lupus' small earth brown satchels.

"This brute has been causing all of this! Turn your little friend back to normal and.." She slumped and calmed down to ask Sweetie Belle, "Where are your friends?" Sweetie Belle shrugged nonchalantly.

"I was chosen in the group to distract Eel for you," Sweetie Belle replied with a small, wryly smile. "Guess that didn't work out as I had planned." The original Pinkie Pie had risen back to her cheerful senses, and she let out a musical chuckle, while releasing a freaked out Lupus.

"Well then," Pinkie chirped optimistically. "There's no time like the present!" Lupus breathed a silent relief and attempted to escape from Sweetie Belle and the insane, moody party planner. However, his stealthy escape failed when a fiery red dragon tail tripped him in his gallop.

"Leaving so soon," Discord asked with feigned shock. He put his lion paw over his heart and gasped loudly enough for the two mares nearby to look up. "You upset me, Lupie. Tell you what! Here's a small mishap that I sorta figured out now!"

"You did, huh?" Lupus was ready to trust the spirit of chaos when the ground would suck up Equestria and Canterlot in one sitting!

Discord seemed to not have caught the slight ring of sarcasm in Lupus' tone, and he nodded and slithered to the highest perch of the shrub in front of them. "You see, one of those nightshade dust vials is, well, a false stud."

"False stud?" Pinkie Pie let out a ringing laugh and nudged Sweetie Belle. "Can you believe him, Belle? He-HA! He's mistaking the vials for potatoes! Silly willy!" Lupus rolled his eyes, yet Discord let out a humongous chuckle.

"Not what I had in mind, Pinkie Pie! And it is a treat to see you again! You should tell your new friends about the wonders of my _laughable_ labyrinth! A rather hilarious exchange was made!" Pinkie Pie scowled as he gave her a condescending smirk and hovered over Lupus. "And as for you, Lupus, it would be dull to tell you colts exactly which vial is which, right?"

"What's the difference between them," Sweetie Belle asked skeptically. Discord frowned at her specific question, not expecting the filly to narrow it down. He snapped his lion paw fingers, and a mammoth doodle board appeared. On it were poor sketches of the Mane Six, the six young crusaders, and Spike. Several multicolored line segments were drawn from doodle to doodle. But with another snap from Discord's fingers, the doodle swirled to reveal the doodle of Rarity circled in red, Spike connected to Applejack with a blue line segment, Fluttershy connected to Spike with another, and Eel connected to Pinkie Pie with the last. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were connected to each other in bright pink, as well was both Spike and Rarity to each other and Sweetie Belle with Eel.

"Why is my drawing pointing near Eel," Sweetie Belle shyly asked. Discord smirked cunningly at her.

"Because I saw your face, Belly. The pink lines indicate _real _emotions, the ones that only add more fuel to the fire. Just like scales and little diva here, and that rainbow main-o with the shy cry mare. Of course, some feelings have not been confessed…." Sweetie Belle's face turned scarlet red, as Pinkie Pie smartly observed the board while tapping her chin.

"Fluttershy and Dash? While Fluttershy and Spike and Spike and Rarity with Applejack and Spike?" Pinkie Pie clutched her throbbing head and leaned onto an unsure Lupus for support.

"As amusing as this is," Discord made the board disappear with a snap and hopped onto an appearing cumulus cloud. "I must keep a close eye on Sherlock and her poor ditzy clan of friends. Ooh! And you lovely ponies may want to keep a close eye on shy cry and that baby dragon! For since the vial could only increase true feelings and all-"

"Discord!" Pinkie Pie, Sweetie Belle, and Lupus immediately felt a wave of relief when they spotted Twilight, Dash, Applejack, and three of the six crusaders dash to them. Twilight glared at the smirking draconequus and shouted, "What do you mean by true feelings?" Discord only slid off his cloud, disappeared, and reappeared to stare at Twilight face to face. The poor pony leaned back a little, slightly afraid of what he'd do next.

"If you must know, I accidentally gave the colt crusaders _two_ purple vials instead of three, making one stand out as an inflating potion. Meaning in short term, one's being honest, hun." Everypony except for Twilight cocked their heads at Discord, confused from his explanation. But Twilight, having done a few bits of research, understood quite well. She gasped and pondered over the horrible possibility. Discord cackled evilly before disappearing and leaving the ponies with another challenge to face.

Applejack tentatively approached the shaken Twilight, concerned about the hidden situation. "What's the matter, sugar cube?"

"One love potion," Twilight mumbled. "One deadly nightshade has been inflicted with a mutation….One that can easily make the most secretive creature admit his or her feelings so drastically and irrationally. It makes any creature wipe out their feelings of every other creature, substance, and element, while centering all of their confessed emotions on that one other. It can bring up lost hate or love."

"Meaning…." Rainbow Dash started to question, while still gripping onto the cow pony and bookworm's shoulder's for support. Twilight gazed at the five crusaders and her three friends in fear.

"It means that Spike, Fluttershy, and/or Eel's feelings may be true to the heart."


	5. Chap 4: Ay, that way goes the game

Chapter 4

A surge of fresh adrenaline pumped through Rainbow Dash's puffed out chest, and her face swelled up ever so slightly in uncontrollable anger. "That's not true! Spike and Rarity were all lovey dovey earlier today! You, me, and Fluttershy saw them, Twilight! And whats makes you think that Fluttershy's 'in love' with Spike?"

"I didn't say specifically Fluttershy, Dash." Twilight brought out her trusted reference to the floral vials and skimmed through the ancient pages before coming to Section Four, the Cure Section. "Here's the cure for the nightshade dust. For it was said that the powerful sorcerer pony Lucas Demi structured this miraculous cure when his late wife Miranda, the recently suspended Captain of the guard's late wife-"

"And," Scootalo pressed on impatiently.

"And when one is infected by the nightshade flower, the only possible cure for any absurd side effects is the spotted herb from the Everfree Forest, and its habitat is often on a neon tortoise's back." (Note: This is cure is false, but the flowers deadly nightshade and opium poppy can cause hallucinations, abrupt sleepiness, and other serious side effects in the real world.)

Twilight looked back at her friends, who only stared at her doubtfulness. "Come on, everypony! It's right here in this guide!" She withdrew the book to Applejack, who bit her lip in skepticism until the words were nailed in her mind.

"Ah am not really sure here," Applejack confessed. But once she gave the book back to Twilight, she flashed an honest, optimistic smile. "Well, gotta give the book nerd credit! When we get that ol' herb, our friends will snap out of it before you can say lickety split!"

"And if we don't," Lupus wondered. Twilight only sighed and stepped forth into the further direction.

"We cannot afford to loose hope," she declared. "We all have friends to save. And if any pony cares the least about our friends, you are free to leave. If not, stand by me, and help me find this herb." And with one moment to spare, every pony sticked with Twilight without two thoughts of hesitation. However, Rainbow Dash and Sweetie Belle had one wth inward negativity.

'Please don't let it be true Fluttershy,' she begged in her mind.

'Oh Eel why,' Sweetie Belle questioned mentally to herself. But before she was able to catch up with her two best friends, a baby dragon slammed into her.

"SPIKE!" Not long after, an insane Fluttershy zipped at his heels. Spike squeaked and shoved Sweetie Belle off of him before he tried to zip away from the crowd. "COME BACK!"

Twilight leapt to grab her brotherly secretary, but the possessed baby dragon bit her ankle, to every other pony's shock. "SPIKE?"

"Leave me alone!" He then thrusted himself onto a very startled Applejack. "Oh my fruitful, exotic love! Let us flee from these demons and pursue our dreams beyond the divine stars above!" He managed to caress her cheek, even when she was trembling and fidgeting away. "I will eternally be blessed if only my eyes were to look at you alone!"

"Yep he's cracked," Apple bloom continued, before giving her older sister a light shove. "Best not let Flutters here get near yah, sis!"

Applejack picked up Spike and frowned thoughtfully at him. "Listen, Spike. I don't know what's goin' on in that brain of yours, but you best be findin' Rarity before Fluttershy turns more mad."

"Who're you calling mad, HILLBILLY?" The animal loving pegasus made a leap to strangle the cow pony's neck, before Rainbow Dash grabbed her in mid-flight and tried to keep her away. To her dismay meanwhile, Applejack's blood began to subconsciously boil at Fluttershy's insult.

"Hillbilly?" But before Applejack stepped any further, Apple bloom and Scootalo reached and grasped her hooves.

"Please sis," Apple bloom begged with her famous pout. "She probably doesn't mean a cow bell 'bout it."

"And we better keep her sane by keeping you sane," Scootalo agreed with a sharp nod. Applejack quickly composed herself in front of the younger mares, and soon she was grinning ear to ear again.

"Thanks, girls. Maybe this whole situation is better than I thought. We're learning something here, aren't we?"

"Yeah," Dash muttered piercingly, while keeping a firm hold on Fluttershy. "Not to get bruises from the psycho so that you won't have an excuse for giving them some!"

Twilight glanced at Dash pitifully and decided it was best to began the search without any more delays. "Hawk, Lupus, Apple bloom, Scootalo, and Sweetie Belle. I need you four to search for the cure. It tends to grow in shadowy places. So watch for it."

"But there aren't any turtles anywhere," Sweetie Belle argued.

"That's only in the Everfree Forest," Twilight notified confidently. "In unusual territories such as this maze, shadowy corners and under shrubs are your best pin points. The herbs are either golden with periwinkle spots or periwinkle with golden spots. Oh! And if Discord appears and he stirs something up, spilt up with one or two ponies to face him so that they'll be at least one or more ponies continuing the search. But, you must let us know if anypony is left behind in this labyrinth. Questions?"

"Ooh! Ooh!" Pinkie Pie grinned excitedly and waved her pink hooves around Twilight, and the book worm only rolled her eyes and grinned.

"Yes, Pinkie?"

"Can I be the Rarity restrainer?" Twilight narrowed her eyes at Pinkie with utter confusion.

"Rarity res-"

"Spike darling!" In two seconds flat, the glamorous boutique owner lunged Spike from a relieved Applejack and embraced him. "Oh, I've been looking for you everywhere! And this horrid little ruffian named Eel was chasing me-"

"Eel is NOT a ruffian," Sweetie Belle snapped before blushing brightly. "It's just…uh….Rarity, where is he?"

"I put up a fairly distant run," Rarity proclaimed dreamily, while looking into Spike's eyes. "He won't find me for a while. Isn't this wonderful, Spike? We're going to get married and-" Rainbow Dash coughed loudly, indicating that they indeed had a bigger audience than what Rarity had expected. "Oh…Hello everypony."

Fluttershy frowned enviously at Rarity and pushed the two apart. "Hello, _Rarity_." She drew her name out, as if it was the most disgusting substance ever known to pony. "What's the occasion when handling another pony's significant other?" Fluttershy's question was undetected in Rarity's mind, for her gaze and thoughts were centered on the new, false-looking hue in Fluttershy's eyes.

"Darling! Out of all ponies, why in Equestria would you wear contacts?" Fluttershy twitched her nose at the unicorn before hugging a thrashing Spike in her arms.

"I don't know what you are talking about you bitter, backstabbing roach!" She grinned evilly and touched noses with Spike, ignoring the fact that he was glaring straight on and menacingly at her. "Because my eyes are only fair and true to my wittle Spiky!"

"WHAT?" Rarity stomped up to the two, but Applejack quickly held her in place.

"Now y'know she doesn't mean it," Applejack soothed with a frown directed at both Fluttershy and Spike. "They're under Discord's deadly nightshade flower powder, and the crusaders were just about to go get it!"

"Right," they all chirped simultaneously before roaming off to fetch the herb. Pinkie Pie followed them stealthy, yet Twilight snatched her tail with a stern poker face.

"Please Pinkie." Her pleading eyes returned for her bubbly friend. "I know that other colt crusader might pop out at any moment, but we need your help just in case things get worse." Pinkie Pie nodded understandably, saluted like an admirable soldier in battle, and skipped over to Applejack's left side.

"I will face ANY creature for Applejack," Spike swore. "Because I love her with my heart!" Seeing Rarity began to sniffle, Applejack held her head up high in protest.

"It's a shame that I don't feel the same way."

"Why love her then," Fluttershy hinted with a sly, eager smile. Her teal eyes soon dangerously twitched, indicating a psychotic tantrum in the very near future. "Spend your years with me, my pretty. Be mine!" Spike roughly shoved her off of him, and she barely missed the now noticeable ditch of warm, sticky mud.

"I'd rather spend them with Twilight than the likes of you!" This made Fluttershy's beautiful face twist into a murderous expression. Every other mare twitched or winced nervously, especially Twilight and Dash. Rarity was as still as a statue, waiting for her sorrowful moment of truth to occur or waiting for the joke to end.

"EW!" Pinkie Pie hopped next to Fluttershy, gingerly helping her up on her hooves. She gave Spike a small pat on the head and asked, "Why Twilight?" Both Twilight and Spike snorted, yet it was the baby dragon who twisted Pinkie Pie's hoof on his head into a painful grip.

"If it narrowed it down you stupid pony," Spike barked. "Why don't all of you just stay out of my way and make room for my little apple treat?" Twilight grabbed Pinkie Pie gently and released her from Spike's rough grip.

"Because you do not love her," Twilight told him and pointed to a pouting Rarity. "Your true vows are only for Rarity, and we fled out of Equestria so that you'd be free from their laws against your bond. Or at least…we aimed to. But we were forced to venture through this labyrinth of Discord, and you were infected by the nightshade flower after…" She turned to Rarity. "Where _have_ you been Rarity?"

Rarity let out a sheepish chuckle and answered, "Asleep from some…powdery orange dust I believe."

"Did it smell wonderfully soothing?" Rarity nodded, and a triumphant grin stretched across Twilight's face. "Than you were infected by the opium poppy, and by the looks of it, you do not have amnesia!"

"Why should any of us have it," Spike asked harshly.

"We were….just afraid, Spike. And Rarity is probably the most afraid for your safety than all of us-" Two hooves pinned Twilight down in a split second, and Fluttershy's insanely wicked stare went straight through her soul.

"Say that again," she slowly threatened, hardening her grip on the poor bookworm. Now fearful of one of her best friend's safety, an idea reached Applejack's hard-working mind.

"Hey Flutters! I'd be happy to repeat the dang sentence!" Fluttershy's nostrils flared up, her hooves released Twilight, and her eyes were now set on the cow pony.

"Would you now," Fluttershy grimly cackled. "Because for a bucking pony to get involved with my little Spike is just more pitifully desperate than remaining stubbornly ignorant of a little word called 'change'!"

Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash inched further away from the cow pony and scrambled into a small huddle. Their eyes did not leave Applejack, as she waved her sunlit blonde hair off her steaming face. "What's that rum-kissed rant supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're only a stubborn, intolerant little cow pony who only needs Spike for attention off of the acres!" Fluttershy jumped to catch Spike, yet he quickly resided to Applejack's busked knees, ignorant of her now enraged and foul mood.

"You're just jealous, you siren! All you ever do is stalk poor creatures down because you're too insecure to just accept the fact that you'll forever remain unloved!"

"Spike!" Twilight now was doubtful of the chances of Spike being truthful. Never would her trusted assistant, her scribe, and not to mention her somewhat adopted brother, proclaim such spiteful words to anypony! She was about to give that baby dragon a wake-up call, but Rainbow Dash held her back.

"We better just stay out of it," Dash told her with gritting teeth. "I'm as ticked as you're getting to be, Twi, but our involvement in this fiasco will only-"

"Just shut it now, Rainbow Crash!" Dash curled her hooves at Fluttershy, who flashed her a taunting grin. "Best now save it for the Wonderbolts when they finally get some sensed nailed into their skulls to reject you."

"Excuse me?"

"I will only agree with this pink-haired brat once," Spike swore hostly. "When I say that you, Dash, are a disappointing loner."

"Say it again to my face you-you-" Her wings began to ferociously sprung out, flipping Pinkie Pie and Twilight safely out of reach. They watched in horror, as Rainbow Dash leapt over both Fluttershy and Spike, and the three bickerers began their biting fistfight. And sooner or later, Applejack's hat was stolen, and the cow pony joined in the brawl.

"GUYS!" Twilight galloped over the four clashers, keeping her eyes out for any more serious damages mentally and physically. 'STOP!" But to her rotten luck, Twilight was ignored. She trotted over to a heart fallen Rarity, who watched the scene with her knees to her chin.

"What-What do we do, Twilight?"

"Hey Rarity; it's alight. Spike-Spike loves you-"

"In what world?" Spike soon hopped off of the fighting mares and ceased from the clash briefly to give Rarity a displeased snarl. "You left me anyway-"

"We were SEPARATED!" She bent on her knees and sobbed over Spike's tiny feet. "We-We-We received help to flee from Twilight and Fluttershy-"

"I would never help a wishy-washy doll fake like you," Fluttershy spat. Tears were now easily seen and glistened in Rarity's eyes, as well as a growl on her lips. Luckily, Twilight held her back.

"Don't listen to her Rarity," Twilight begged. "And don't listen to Spike. They're under-"

"Keep your mouth shut you maddening control freak of a puppet," Spike insulted. Now all thoughts of retrieving the floral vials and waking her friends back to normal were gone and replaced with the sweet, relishing drawbacks of biting karma.

"PUPPET?" Both Twilight and Rarity leapt onto the four others, kicking and biting and punching and squealing and taunting. Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, winced every time an insult was audible and promisingly sharp.

"At least that crazy crusader is not-"

"Hello, Dolly!" Eel, twitching and covered in several twigs and shrubs leaves, grinned like a madman and zoomed over to a cowering Pinkie with one deep violet vial held over his head and aimed at her. Screaming until her voice gave way, Pinkie Pie dashed wildly around her fist fighting friends, hoping that they'd get the message.

"Help! Help! Dash! AJ! Spike! Flutters Twilight! ANYPONY WITH THEIR HEAD SCREWED ON RIGHT! I DON'T CARE! JUST HELP!" She squealed as Eel had managed to catch up with her and corner her into a scrub corner. Sliding the vial up and down from his palm like a small pistol, Eel grinned almost sinisterly, twisted the vial open, and dangled it over Pinkie Pie's head.

"Soon we'll be together forever," Eel swore with an evil laugh. "So very soon!" And when he began to release the contents, Pinkie Pie closed her crystal blue eyes and decided to wait patiently for her fate. 'Oh please, Twilight,' her mind chanted and pleaded. 'Please find a cure, and mind us if we don't act ourselves! And throw a party of two when-'

"Get away from her!" Pinkie Pie's eyes opened back up, and she gasped as she witnessed Twilight tackling Eel. "Give me the vial!"

"Never!" He tried to dump it back in one of his side satchels. But when he did, his quick jerks in the tackling made his grip on the vial slip, flip out of his palm, and spread its contents over Twilight.

"ACHOO! Hey! Why'd you-" Twilight's violet eyes suddenly darkened to a very deep violet, and she spaced out. And just in the nick of time, Discord, in all of his chaotic glory, appeared with his usual smug smirk set on the scattered ponies.

"Fighting? Pinning? Spacing out I see?" He then noticed the deep purple cloud of dust now dissolving from around Twilight, meaning that one last vial of flower dust had been released. "Well," he mused in complete shock. "This was surprisingly unexpected. Oh well! Another reason to catch up with you squabblers, don't you agree Twi Dye?" Twilight met Discord's mahogany eyes, and a smirk set on her lips. Discord cocked his head at her, shocked to see her gaze at him amusingly. "Uh….Are you alight there, Twilight?"

She giggled and drawled in response, "Never been better, Dis. Who's to say that the chaotic ones don't have pricelessly cute shocked faces?" Discord gawked at her, and the others fighting or just witnessing the exchange gawked as well.

"Are you…serious," Discord asked awkwardly with a slightly hopeful glint in his eyes. His face began to grow warm, and his usually collected even when mismatched limbs trembled as she grinned wider. Twilight, all the while, felt as giddy and drunk as anypony opening their eyes to their long lost love. Her limbs swayed rhythmically, and clouds singing melodies of long lasting love seemed to give her the ability to feel lightheaded and floaty while focused and loyally staring at Discord.

"You tell me," Twilight replied flirtatiously. Rainbow Dash and Spike face palmed, Applejack hid her tiny chuckle with her earth brown cowboy hat over her face, Rarity fainted into an agitated and disgusted Fluttershy's arms, Eel simply mirrored Discord's gawk, and Pinkie Pie whistled happily.

"Finally one couple that I can actually see happening under the flower dust effects!"

**And there you have it. Please feel free to type to me what you think!**


	6. Chap 5: Yet but three? Come one more

Chapter 5

**I'm glad that this story is read by such supportive viewers. And don't worry, the Twicord pairing is staying strong. Enjoy the next part!**

During the five crusaders' search Sweetie Belle had accidentally tripped onto an odd, gooey substance, and the Southern pony covered her pointy ears when Lupus let out a feminine squeal. "Cotton candy cloud!" He stuffed a huge chunk of the scrumptious desert in his mouth, clomping it down with one, musical gulp. Soon, Hawk simply dove into the treat, not minding the fact that he was now covered from head to hooves in the sticky treat.

"Awesome! Now I won't have to worry about getting hungry!"

"And the candy will shut your lip Hawk," Scootalo giggled, while mimicking Hawk's dive and stuffing portions the pink desert in her mouth. She handed a huge chunk to Apple bloom, and since Apple bloom was still a go-treat-getting filly and her sister was not there to stop her, Apple bloom happily took it and munched on it. But after finishing, she whistled loudly in the three other pony's ears. "What the hay-"

"C'mon you sitters. We got an herb to find!" She began to scan their surroundings with her mind focused on where one such herb could be in a disharmonious labyrinth.

"Aww! But Apple bloom-"

"Ah don't wanna hear it, Scoot!" Personally, Apple bloom was secretly worried about Applejack. It was hard not to be when you just witnessed your sister being chased and shoved around by other possessed and even non-possessed ponies. "That curing herb has gotta be somewhere…."

"I say we look somewhere else," Lupus suggested proudly. Yet, Apple bloom only gave him a small shake of her hot pink bowed head.

"I don't think so because we still haven't checked around here-"

"Well I say we split up," Hawk interrupted while heading east. But before he was able to exit, one strong-willed crusader held him back with a firm grip on his left shoulder.

"Oh no you don't you venturer," Scootalo warned. But unlike most times when she spoke firmly to Hawk, she wasn't using her usual, irritated tone. It was more of the tone their teacher, Miss Cherilee, would use for a pony who acted up; it held a mixture of strictness and concern. For a second, Hawk had gotten the impression that his arch rival actually cared about him, and that only boasted his cocky attitude.

"I'm not gonna get hurt Scoot-"

"You idiot! I just don't want us to split up! And with that brain of yours who knows where you'll end up! Besides…uh…" Scootalo suddenly lost her cool, and she dipped her head. "You-You're not stupid enough to miss the herb, and we kinda sorta need your help."

"Are you….begging for me to stay?" Hawk let out a dramatic gasp, but then he bit his lip when Scootalo's nostrils flared visible puffs of smoke. To Hawk, the action would've been creepily adorable, if her eyes weren't so….interesting to look at. That was the right word to use, right? It was amazing how alien mares seemed to be around Hawk, even though he goes to school with them and has a few like Scootalo and Apple bloom and Sweetie Belle in his classes.

"You're going mad!"

"I'm not the one begging!" And that was what had officially done it. Scootalo's bright orange face was now deep red in boiling, blinding rage, and she jumped to pin Hawk down. Both Sweetie Belle and Apple bloom tried to restrain her, yet they missed her through her skillfully quick actions. And soon, Apple bloom tripped into Lupus' arms before he gently released her with a small frown.

"You okay?" She nodded, and her huge, hot pink bow bounced swiftly. "I just wish we would all just focus on what's on hoof…" They both turned to the two other rolling and tumbling ponies, and Sweetie Belle avoided their tumbling path altogether. The three other crusaders didn't know whether to call them to prevent the fight from turning worse or just watch until they cooled down. For if they jumped right into the fight, there was a strong chance of them being fully distracted and never retrieving the herb in time. So, they waited patiently, knowing that they'll both get exhausted sooner or later.

Suddenly, Scootalo was bonked on the head by some mushy plant when Hawk soon rolled on top of her and kicked her stomach. "Stop this now, villain!"

"Never, coward! I will-Hey! What's that thing that keeps bonking me?" Hawk's eyes followed Scootalo's, and he gasped at the movable herb behind the tip of Scootalo's scalp. 'That's it,' his mind cheered. 'That's the herb Twilight wants us to get!'

"Trust me Scoot when I say not to turn around," he whispered to her. She only glared unforgivably at him with a tiny pout.

"How can I trust you?"

"Because it's Twilight's herb." Scootalo abruptly swerved to the now retreating herb, and she growled at the possibly of its untold ability.

"Nopony had ever said that it was able to walk on its own!" Scootalo kicked a spare pebble out of her path and quickly followed the other crusaders, who were chasing after it.

"Then we all have learned a new lesson today," Lupus joked with a small grin in Apple bloom's direction.

"Now let's go SNATCH that herb for our friends," Sweetie Belle boomed.

"Right," they all cheered, gaining a braver and more optimistic attitude. "Crusaders! The pursuit has begun!"

"Well," Twilight rolled her eyes playfully at Discord and slowly approached him. "Are you just going to gawk over there, good spirit? Or are you going to confess your point of view on the wonderful subject at hand." The spirit of chaos had never felt so speechless in his life, expect for that one time when he witnessed Princess Luna learning how to bake a sun-kissed casserole a thousand years ago. But this, oh geez, this took the chaotic cake! Truth be told, Twilight Sparkle was one pony that he never grew tired of thinking about and being around. The princesses in which he had known for so very long were now so very gone. And there was one noticeable difference between her and them; Twilight Sparkle never ceased to give up.

And now, she was surprisingly a victim of his own designed flower. Or….was he? Basically, Discord knew that there was a one out of three chance of her being truthfully honest about her devotion. And every time his mind played back her icy tone she had used to him before, the poor spirit had lost hope.

It was only a simple illusion. Twilight's love was false, whereas he had unrequitedly fallen for her ever since she and her amusing friends turned him once more into stone.

He regarded her cooly with a glare and landed to where she stood. "Your fate has been twisted in a more drastic shape, I fear. And you will have to cower when I say that you'll never find the cure, Twilight Sparkle!"

To his dismay, the violet pony only giggle and stepped closer to him. "What cure? As far as I know, I've been cured all along."

"Oh here we go again!" Discord let out a humorless snort, before floating off. But then, a hoof grabbed his scaly red tail, and Discord was forced to avoid her oh-too precious pout and dewey violet eyes.

"You don't…believe me?"

"Frankly, no. Just go trot back to your friends. I have more import-" He stopped midway in his sentence when Twilight had managed to hop and steal a peck on his cheek. Glowing and biting his lip hard to hide his smirk, Discord slithered off to leave the scene. It was all too perfect, but what ruined it was the simple chance of her not being true. "Don't strain your luck, sweetheart. Bravo for the one peck though! You almost had me there!"

"Wait." Twilight's world had began to crumple, as the draconequus had suddenly disappeared away again. "Come back! I-I'm being true! I love you! Wait!" But before she was able to trot and shout any further, Applejack had reached and held her in place.

"Calm down, sugar cube. It's bad enough that we got Spike and Fluttershy here under those dang flowers. But since you seem to be infected, we need to wait for a cure like civilized ponies and not lovesick runaways!" Twilight only shook her head in disbelief and stared pleadingly at Applejack.

"AJ," she begged. "You believe me when I say that I love Discord, don't you? Unlike Spike and Fluttershy, I-I just know that I do! I just have failed to reveal it because something has pushed me back! But now…" A goofy smile stretched on Twilight's face. "I'm in love," she confessed in a sing-song voice.

"No you are not, Twilight." Applejack shook her friend and even gave her a few harmless shoves. "You're just under his spell-"

"As I've always been!"

"Well this is just FANTASTIC!" Rainbow Dash zoomed next to Applejack, while keeping her eyes set between Twilight and Fluttershy. "Not only do we have a big-mouthed baby dragon and a psychotic pony to handle, but now Twilight's acting somewhat…drunk…"In response, Applejack gave her tomboyish friend a quick whack in the head. "What they hay was _that _for?"

"Good riddance. Now first thing's first! Pinkie…do you have any…ropes or something?"

"How about straight jackets," Pinkie Pie asked, while gazing at the now sparkly, built in straight jackets set before her.

"How-"

"Don't ask!" Pinkie Pie hopped over to her friends with a smile and a shrug. "Honest! I have absolutely positively no idea how they got here!" Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack faced the straight jackets with a lovesick Twilight nearby. There were four to be exact, one silver, one bronze yellow, one lime green, and one lavender. They didn't exactly trust them being in Discord's maze. But what other choice of restraining did they have aside from earning a fresh amount of blotchy bruises and scars?

"Well, c'mon then. Let's set em in and get this dang procedure over with." Applejack soon galloped over to a hopeful Spike's side with an almost believably fond bat of her emerald eyes. "Hey, sug. I need some brave guy willing to try out this strange-lookin' contraption for me. Someone brave and kind and-"

"Anything for you, Applejack." The cow pony smirked before dipping her head to Spike. "And by the way," she whispered. "Let's-er, let's let Fluttershy try out the one that knocks sense in the skull. Shall we?"

With a mischievous grin, Spike nodded eagerly and followed Applejack with a propelling tail. Fluttershy noticed them and quickly rushed to Spike's side.

"And just what are you doing-" Dash immediately dashed to her side and wrapped her right hove over her shoulders. 'What paradise….'

"Uh….AJ and Spike are willing to, uh, agree with you." Seeing Fluttershy still glaring, Dash quickly continued. "Once you step into these fashionable straight jackets, you'll forever be together."

"And how exactly does that work," Fluttershy challenged.

"The psychological theory derived under the stabilized establishment under Professor Featherdrum's roof connects sufficiently under unencumbered terms regarding the dainty fabrics and coils entwined to ensure blessed and miraculous waves of pure happiness balancing from jacket to jacket," Pinkie explained smartly. Applejack had to shut Dash, Spike, and Fluttershy's gawking mouths after. "It depends on the, um, color of the chair," Pinkie Pie added more shyly.

"Agreeable," Fluttershy decided with a poker face and allowed a grinning Dash to strap her into the bronze yellow straight jacket. "What are you smiling about?" Dash blushed a bit before replying with a faint smile.

"I think you and _Spike_ are gonna be…happy together after all this is done." This made Fluttershy smile sincerely for the first time in hours, and she cupped Dash's hooves into hers.

"That's awfully sweet of you Dash," Flutershy stated with her usual, timidly bell-sounding tone. With that tone of voice, doubt ran across the cyan pegasus' mind about restraining her. "You know, we'll always remain the best of friends, right?" Dash looked back up at his love with self-mourning eyes. Was the pegasus in front of her infected by the mutated nightshade and was fully committed to Spike all along? The idea of their discovery made Dash pant more and more in disbelief. "Dash…Are you alight?"

"Crystal," Dash sighed and strapped Fluttershy in for good. She then glanced at Applejack, who had just received a small amount of daises form the drooling baby dragon.

"I picked them only for you," Spike promised, while Applejack was hesitantly strapping him in to the lime green straight jacket. Dipping her cowboy hat over her eyes, Applejack could only mutter a 'thank-you,' and finish strapping Spike in. For all she knew, what if this was the honest Spike? She didn't love him the same way, but she feared that this idea was only going to lead to one of their friends being rejected by another with just one investigation. And on top of all of that madness, who was to say that that darn Discord had lied about the mutated nightshade? He very well could of, but something stirred inside of the honest Applejack that made her believe his word.

The last, for now, to strap into was Twilight. As Pinkie Pie did so with unsure glances directed at Dash and Applejack, she whispered to a giddy Twilight, "I wish I knew, Twi. I wish I knew if you were true."

"You mean…" It was far too late for either of the three victims of the deadly nightshade to escape now from their traps, for Twilight was fooled to believe that Discord loved lavender straight jackets! "Let us out!"

"Well?" Fluttershy stared down Applejack while Rarity was stirring from her faint nap. "I'm waiting to be forever bonded with my Spiky."

"Whoa whoa wait!" Spike let his tongue snap angrily in the three mares' direction. Dash could've sworn she saw a puff of smoke penetrating through his gritted teeth. "You promised me to Applejack alone, you rebels! You repulsive back stabbing-"

"Spike darling!" Rarity joined her friends, who were avoiding the strapped ones' eyes. "What are you doing to my beloved and Fluttershy and Twilight? I mean…Fluttershy did seem a bit suspiciously hostile, and Spike…But Twilight's a different story, you three!"

"You fainted before Twilight was infected," Dash explained. "And we now have to find Eel to narrow it down. If only the crusaders had that cure now…."

"Give them time," Pinkie Pie tried to convince with a hop and a encouraging smile. "Besides, it's time for us to play 'Guess who's the loony!'" She peered into Fluttershy's eyes, then Spike's, and then Twilight's. After doing so, the party planner could only shrug and shake her bouncy pink maned head at her friends. "Sorry buds…It's just not easy to detect in their eyes."

"That would be far too easy," Rarity agreed, staring at Spike sharply. "Now we're down to theories; my Spike is most certainly not in love with Applejack. I can assure you that! So that just narrows it down to our two friends!"

"Hold your horses, Rarity." Applejack held out the daisies Spike gave to her not too long ago, and her face fell in doubt. "You and I both know that only the six of us know about my favorite kind of flower."

"Then he must have heard."

"Exactly," Applejack nodded. "Not to mention the fact that….I sense he could be honest."

"Wait guys!" Dash gripped Fluttershy's hooves and hid her guilty look under her rainbow locks. "Look, Flutters seems…..truthful, too."

"Wait guys," Pinkie put in her two cents in with a small wave of her hooves and a chirpy yelp. "Twilight doesn't seem like she's lying about Discord either!"

"One of them is telling the truth," Rarity interrupted. "And according to a practical view toward all three of these friends of ours, I say that Twilight loving Discord is-"

"We got the cure!" All six mares and Spike soon looked up either hopefully or nervously at the five excited crusaders, chasing a motive herb in a rushed jumble. Pinkie Pie and Twilight whooped for them to tackle it down, Fluttershy and Spike awkwardly slinked lower into their straight jackets, Rarity covered her eyes in fear, and Dash and Applejack yelled for them to direct the herb to them.

"Get the dang thing o'er here!"

"Keep to the right! Don't loose it!"

"I cannot look! I cannot look!"

"Oh dear Celestia."

"Please don't hurt us!"

"Woo too! You chuckle heads are almost there!"

"One for the crusaders for just the thrill of the chase, baby! Let's throw a chase party after!"

The five sweating crusaders avoided the older group for the moment. Their eyes intently stayed on their herbal prey, and at Hawk's cawing signal during their run, Lupus lifted Apple bloom by her belly like a spear, aimed, and threw her at the herb to score the ultimate touchdown. Unfortunately, Apple bloom missed it by a couple of inches. But once that mischievous herb blew a raspberry at the group, Scootalo's eyes narrowed into slits, and she picked up her speed. Ushering Hawk to join her, she effortlessly picked him up and threw him like Lupus had done with Apple bloom earlier. Hawk was dazed for a moment from admiring how strong she was for seeming so delicate and tiny, but he quickly got his head back in the game soon enough to snatch the herb. Everypony and Spike cheered for Hawk, and Pinkie Pie reached for Twilight's satchel to grab the reference guide for the much needed cure.

But then, Twilight held the book to her chest when even still strapped. "I'm not letting you guys do anything to me! Stand back! If you want it, release me!"

"Give us the book Twi," Dash ordered sternly with crossed hooves. "It's for your and Spike and Fluttershy's good that we find out."

"And Eel," Sweetie Belle whispered to herself. "Please, Twilight?"

"You guys just won't listen to me," Twilight teared up. "When I say that I am telling the TRUTH!"

"That's enough," Rarity rebuked with her hooves lifted at Twilight for the book. "Give the book to us. We promise that you three and Eel will not be harmed. We just want to see which one of you is completely honest with your rising emotions-"

"We ALL are," the strapped baby dragon and ponies yelled simultaneously. The rest of the unrestrained ponies groaned, and just in time for Discord to make an entrance.

"Hold on," Lupus spoke up. "I was forced to sprinkle the dust on the baby dragon and the pink-haired mare…with two vials. Eel had one oh his own, and it must've slipped onto him. But then…he had another left over….."

"So you mean." Hawk reviewed the plot line mentally to himself, and his eyes widened to the size of paper plates. "There were _four_ vials instead of three?"

"Meaning…" Scootalo gasped and shook Sweetie Belle in shock. "That means, two of the four vial….love kids could be….uh….telling the truth!"

"What do we DO," Pinkie Pie panicked with quick pants. Hawk was still dizzy in Scootalo's rickety grip, and the herb had managed to slide out of his hooves and hop onto Fluttershy's head.

"AH! HELP! THIS GROSS THING'S ON MY HEAD!" Dash tried to whisk it off of Fluttershy's head, yet he pinched the tip of her head, leaving a heart-shaped mark. "Ow," she moaned, one the herb had leapt off of her and onto Spike's head. Dash grabbed her shoulders and shook her wildly.

"No, Flutters! No! We need you awake! FLUTTERSHY!" But unfortunately, Fluttershy's lemony tone had turned neon green. And once her eyes had resumed to her exotic teal blue shade, she slipped into unconsciousness.

"Get OFFA ME!" Spike madly shook her head from side to side, yet the herb magically stayed put on his head like glue and without wavering. Then, the herb pinched Spike the same way he did with Fluttershy, and Spike's lavender and lime green scales turned dully gray before Rarity was able to reach for him.

"Spike precious?" The baby dragon drooled ever so slightly, before his eyes turned bright green again, and he slipped into a deep sleep. "Spike! Open your eyes! I want to see them! Darling!"

"Please get off of me," Twilight whimpered with her eyes never leaving Discord's. They seemed to be beckoning for him to release her, to let her remain loyal and honest to what she had meant. But of course, Discord was no fool in the face of rejection.

The last time that he had assumed one beautiful and divine unicorn had loved him was before the accused princess herself had turned him into stone with her sister.

"Help me, Discord." He only shook his head angrily at her and mouthed, 'I'm not the right person to be taken as a fool, my dear.' But just as that darn herb had planted itself and pinched Twilight, his attention was caught back. Twilight didn't change once in hue or slip into a deep slumber. She remained perfectly still and sobbed silently to herself.

"It…." Pinkie Pie observed Twilight, as she whispered guilty and sadly to Rainbow Dash. "It didn't work…Did it?" At that point, Twilight freed herself with one strong and last shove of her straight jacket, not minding the ripping noise of the loose lavender fabric. And once she had crouched back on the ground and on all fours, she galloped off before anypony else could've stopped her.

"Twilight," Rarity called out to. She noticed that the bookworm had left the reference guide in which they needed all along. With a slight ray of hope within herself, Rarity presented the book to Applejack, who happily took it and stopped at the bookmarked nightshade cure reference. After carefully reading the herb cure word by word, Applejack released a tiresome sigh, shut the book, and gazed at the gleaming stars from above.

"Well," Apple bloom asked her older sister.

"We did it," Applejack solemnly stated before trotting to face where her poorly alone and heartbroken friend had fled.

"That dopey Discord," Rainbow Dash snapped. "Why'd he have to do such a cruel thing to her?" By that point, Discord had snaked in the shadows and pursued Twilight.

"Did you see his face Dash," Pinkie Pie slowly reminded him. "I did….He didn't mean to hurt her.

"Besides Dash." Applejack turned to the silent group and muttered, "It's not his fault that we acted so hostly with her. We had a good understanding of Fluttershy and Spike's feelings, at least one of us did. However, it was and is not our right to look over and guess Twilight's feelings. We have no one to blame for ourselves, Dash. No one."

**How's this? I hope that someday more connections will be made to these ponies. But either way, let me know how this looks!**


	7. Epilogue: All shall be well

Chapter 6

**Pre Note: The reason why this chapter look's a doozy is there's a lengthy song at the end of this final chapter that I really wanted to include in the ending. Sorry, viewers. But please, type to me what you think!**

If you had happened to scan the peak of Discord's notorious labyrinth of wits, you'd catch the faint glistening to Celestia's blessed sun, peaking and indicating that the night was zoo at it end. And the glorious rise of morning would soon follow after, soon leaving the busying ponies of Ponyville to their daily arise and duties. And to Twilight's rotten luck, she knew that word was still to spread, and one of her friends may perish under a noose this morning.

But the poor bookworm was heartbroken, for she had felt no greater pain since her defeats with the Elements of Harmony. And even then, she had risen to finish the job. But now, all that she was capable of doing was running, running from every other soul who had dared to question her. No other pony nor dragon nor beast nor any other creature would know what it was like to love the spirit.

She had loved him for quite a while, even more than her conscious self had known. Ever since Twilight had caught the terrifyingly frightened expression on his face, her heart had belonged to Discord. Day by day, week by week, she had smothered herself in her research, wondering why her emotions had suddenly built up and began to poke fun at and distract her from her work. At first, Twilight had assumed that she was just faintly catching a cold or reaching that-ahem- stage of maturing. (Rarity was one unicorn who was an uncomfortably sheer expert on _that _ridiculously awkward subject.) But after several months later, Twilight had came across the book entitled, 'History in Stone,' by non other than the princess herself. And once she had reached Discord's present tale of the stone, Twilight's heart skipped a beat.

It was decided; she had fallen for the spirit of chaos.

Of course, it would've been rationally foolish and even self-centered to have declared it to the world, much less her faithful friends alone. So as the trusted student of Princess Celestia, head librarian of Ponyville's head library, and elemental and magical leader of the Mane Six and holders of the Elements of Harmony, Twilight Sparkle kept her mouth shut. That is until some incident of a darn deadly nightshade flower had unlocked her emotions open and hid the vault.

"Sparkle," a deep, all too familiar voice called out to her. Twilight whimpered and ran faster away from Discord. "If you do not mind, I'd like to explain myself-"

"Would you now?" At that point, Twilight was too stressed to avoid him any longer, and she faced him with tear stains on her cheeks and bloodshot eyes. "Well, now that you know, just give one last, hearty laugh so that I'll never have to deal with you again!" She stomped her hooves, and then glanced at him impatiently. "I'm waiting…"

"I didn't know," Discord protested with a hint of agitation but also shame in his voice. "I saw you back there. You're honest and upfront now; I know! But…." He kneeled to her eye level and cupped her chin. "You're afraid that I don't feel the same way, aren't you?"

Twilight was not going to be fooled. She shoved his lion paw off of her chin and snapped, "I wouldn't expect, no, nopony would expect the spirit of chaos to actually have a heart for one simple unicorn! _You _should be the one who shouldn't be taking me as a fool, Discord! So get away from me; you've had your STINKING FUN!" But before she turned to run away, Discord snatched her tail, and crashed his lips onto hers. The impact made the bookworm dizzy and almost trip then and there. Yet, Discord caught her front hooves.

"Does _that_ convince you dear," Discord whispered compassionately. And to his amusement, her face was rosy red. "Oh come now, Twilight! You and I both know that there is no need to be embarrassed! We all have our flaws, whereas yours is most certainly not emotions."

"Discord!" Twilight's face turned even brighter, and Discord had succumbed to a laughing fit. And sooner or later, giggles and soon chuckles escaped from Twilight's throat as well. But then, her laughing eyes soon caught the fresh rays of daytime, as they shined on Discord, and she slumped at the thought of going back."Discord…What about the princesses? I can't stay here forever with my 'enemy'. I have duties to fulfill. And along with that, two of my best friends are..are in a forbidden love."

"Just like we are," Discord added, smirking at the flushing Twilight. "But the question is…what should two rivals do?"

"Hey y'all,"Apple bloom had finally spoken out after a stretching silence. "We better go get her and Eel. Who knows when we'll have to-"

"Here comes the sun," Scootalo pointed out, avoiding Hawk's humming. "Now we know that we have to find the rest of these suckers!"

"Agreed," Dash saluted to the crusaders and her three friends. And with one hopeful glance back in the sleeping Fluttershy's direction, Dash marched up the crusaders. "Troops! Let's go-"

"PINKIE!" Eel was stomping in their direction, raising the last nightshade vial with a moronic smile plastered on his sweat-drenched face. Sweetie Belle shrieked as Eel jumped over her and her friends, but just before Eel had finally reached Pinkie Pie once more, an idea hatched in Hawk's head.

"Hey Lupus!" His friend gave him a 'not now' look, yet Lupus only reached his satchels and asked, "What makes a flower droop in sorrow?"

"An ignorant friend," Lupus sarcastically remarked. "Come on, man! We have no time at all-"

"Poppies!" Pulling out Lupus' vial, Hawk dashed over to where Scootalo was hugging Eel's knees, holding him back from a startled Pinkie Pie. Gently scraping a ticked Scootalo off of Eel, Hawk shoved his friend to the ground and watched as he murmured and gurgled himself to sleep.

"Visionary vogue…." And in a snap, Eel had tilted his head backward in a deep sleep. Apple bloom took the vial from Hawk's grip with a curious look.

"Caution: Lasts for more than two hours on one shake, and it lasts for two times the same amount on two shakes." Apple bloom whooped in joy before asking the satisfied Hawk, "How'd you do it, Bird brain?"

"I just measured it out form how it was done from Twilight's research. No need to thank me."

"Uh yeah we do stupid," Scootalo protested with a small smirk. "Good luck there. Now, where are our badges?"

"Look in the satchel you brought."

"Idiot! That's the stupidest thing you've ever-" Hawk gently brushed her magenta satchel to the ground, opened it, and withdrew three crusader badges to the gawking fillies. "How-"

"We knew that you had them all along," Lupus explained. "But we wanted to keep you in suspense."

"But why," Sweetie Belle pouted, while her eyes had never left Eel's sleeping form. Hawk only shrugged absentmindedly.

"It's fun to poke fun at the steam-stress here!"

"I am NOT a hot head," Scootalo argued as her temper had risen up severely high.

"I never said that you were," Hawk remarked smartly with a grin. "I bet it would've taken you hours to find it here anyway."

"Nuh-uh!" Apple bloom scurried to her two best friends' sides and shouted proudly, "We are capable of accomplishing any challenge!"

"Even a date," Applejack whispered with feigned shock in her little sister's ear.

"Ew! Gross! With these back lickers, why would we?"

"You said _any_ challenge," Dash teased lightly with a grin in Scootalo's direction. "So why argue?"

"Because these colts are back lickers," Scootalo hooted with her tongue stuck out at Hawk.

"Get your facts straight shorty; only Lupus would do something as pathetic as that!"

"Not true! What about you and your habit of doll collecting?"

"They're not DOLLS," Hawk shouted, turning red as the three fillies giggled madly. "Stop that! They're warrior figurines-"

"Warrior dolls," Apple bloom squealed, earning support from a smug Lupus.

"Oh yeah Lu? What about the time you painted a mural of the Equestrian symbols! What a nerd!"

Sweetie Belle and Scootalo laughed along with Hawk, but Apple bloom stared at him in wonder. "You really did that, Lu? That's…amazing! I want to see it some time!"

"We if you do continue such artwork darling," Rarity stepped in with a considerate smile. "You should head on to the library with some pointers from Twilight. She is surely the nerd to speak to about those kind of-" Rarity's face fell at the thought of her gifted friend. "Oh fabric! We must retrieve Twilight before sunrise! Is there anyway we can wake Spike before the late morning?"

"He'll stay asleep for a few more hours," Hawk remembered. "As well will Fluttershy and Eel. Let's just find Twilight and get the heck out of here."

"You said it," Lupus agreed, and everypony wide awake nodded in agreement.

"We could always remain secretly friends," Twilight suggest helpfully, but Discord noticed that the disappointment in her beautiful eyes had betrayed her. "Celestia and Luna would never know. My friends wouldn't and-"

"Enough of that dear," Discord softly scolded, while his eagle claws brushed lightly through her mane. "We must stop pretending. It's either we wing it or we part." Tears threatened Twilight's eyes, and so Discord eloped her in a warm hug. "There there. There'll be a time when our paths do cross."

"When," Twilight sniffed from underneath his grip. "When? Everypony will never recognize your other side, your side that you seem to show to nopony else but you. Your selfless side." Discord cringed at her sweet words, knowing good and well that he had been keeping some drastic secret from her for a while. "Discord? Are you alight?"

"I was in love with the princess," Discord confessed while avoiding Twilight's intense gaze. "Celestia…Before she was all motherly and wise, she was just like you. Okay, so she was more of a protagonist without a stronger will and fought more for the good of the people, but still…"He stared at her fondly while whispering, "You have her eyes."

Twilight's face lit up in embarrassment, but now also blissfulness. "Why did you depart from her?"

"Easy. I wished to break free. Chaos just comes at you, hun. It chooses its life forms, and I soon had changed into a disharmonious spirit. Celestia and Luna weren't exactly pleased as to what I had become. And at the same time, I was not so pleased with how they were slaves of these laws!" He released Twilight before punching a concrete wall without a wince of pain. However, Twilight grimaced and looked over to his lion paw and checked for injuries. Seeing none, she nodded for him to continue. "And soon, fate had played another course on me, and those sisters had turned me into stone." After his story, Discord expressed a smile of melancholy for the weeping unicorn.

"Why? What are we to do?" She jumped into his arms, and the now content spirit kissed the top of her forehead. And once her sobs had softened into hiccups, Discord lifted her chin once more.

"I now have a plan. It has its drawbacks, but I believe its to work out without a price. Celestia is getting married, and now I've lost full interest on drugging her groom. Who knows? The guy may be my kind of friend! Anyway, I say we get some of those poppy vials from the crusaders, get you all to sleep, and I'll work my magic then and there when Celestia shows up."

"What do you mean by that," Twilight asked suspiciously. Discord only smirked at her, kissed her gently, and scooped her up.

"No hints, hun. Just get your friends over here, and leave the rest to me." He snapped his fingers, and her purple horn had been set back on her mirrored his now content smile and happily returned his kiss. 'This is wonderful….Who would've ever thought-'

"OH SNAP!" Both Discord and Twilight ended the kiss and spotted four crusaders gagging in in a huddle, Sweetie Belle dropping a still snoring Eel who she was supporting, Dash scrunched her face up in disgust when holding Fluttershy in her arms, Rarity almost fainted when holding Spike, yet a gawking Applejack caught her, while a cheering Pinkie Pie caught a thumb-sucking, sleeping Spike.

"YEAH! Guys, come on! You kinda had to see that coming! Did you see the way he pet her and stuff?" Pinkie Pie grabbed Twilight and whispered, "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Can I be your best mare?" Twilight only laughed in amusement at Pinkie Pie and shrugged.

"I guess yah here were serious," Applejack cackled after blinking back out of her trance. "Huh, sugar cube?"

"What a day," Sweetie Belle sighed wistfully and picked Eel back up. "Oh…How I do wish Rarity is okay."

"She'll be fine," Dash assured her confidently with her signature grin. But then, it dropped after one afterthought. "So uh…how do we face the others?" Suddenly, she, the crusaders, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack gasped as waves of powdery, sweet-smelling, orange dust overtook their vision and ricked them to sleep. The one magical pony behind it all, Twilight Sparkle, smiled at them.

"Don't worry guys. I promise that you won't get hurt, nor have any memories or perspectives of yours altered. I have altered the dust's effects to my design, so that we'll all be put into a safe slumber in front of Discord's labyrinth. He told me that he'd do the rest but-" She wasn't able to finish her promise, for the clouds of dust from the now lifted vials had already hypnotized her thoughts to sleep.

Discord pecked her cheek before mumbling, "Good night, Twilight Sparkle. For now all shall be well under a restored amend."

Princess Celestia was now observing the twisted structure of her infamous arch rival's clever and mind-swarming labyrinth. Her eyes flashed stern harbingers, for she had always reminded herself daily to stop lingering onto the past. Suddenly, a bright, lavender light had appeared in front of the dazed princess of sunlight, and she gasped at the shocking sight. There was her most trusted servant, sleeping soundly with her five committed friends, six young crusaders hugging each other to sleep, and Spike drooling in Rarity's lap.

So much for a peaceful compromise. For it was terrible enough that Luna was there to witness it.

"UP! UP! ALL OF YOU!" Seeing that they were still heavily asleep, Princess Luna swiftly turned to the nearby guards. "You! Issue the trumpeters to sound their horns!"

"Yes, your majesty." The bulky guard nodded to the curious composer nearby, and the composer began to lead the three trumpeters into a boisterous piece. Instantly, both Spike and Scootalo had sat up with dazed eyes. With one glance at the other, they both woke up Rarity and the other crusaders.

"Rarity." Spike gently shook his beloved. "Please get up. The princesses are here."

"WHERE?" Rarity turned bright pink at how mangled and knotted her mane was now under her deep sleep. She then shoved Sweetie Belle up, who had then did the same to a drooling Eel. Scootalo, meanwhile, pinched her three other friends up, and Apple bloom had awakened the last four mares with one shrill whistle.

"The gates on FIRE!" Applejack bolted up with wide eyes and soon took down her hat to bow to the princess.

"I'm here and clear!" Dash had accidentally kicked a now awakened Fluttershy though a stirring spasm, and Dash didn't avoid noticing. "Oh sorry, Fluttershy!" She took her hooves into hers. "You okay?"

"I-I'm fine," Fluttershy stuttered. "But we, um, better go bow before their grace." Dash nodded and shoved a murmuring Twilight up.

"Spike…Five more minutes…"

"Get up, Juliet. The princesses are here."

"WHAT?" Twilight had zoomed over to the princesses and flopped on her stomach to bow. "Forgive me, oh I'm sorry-"

"There is no need for apologies, my good student," Celestia beamed. "We only wish for an explanation."

"Indeed." Princess Luna glided to where Spike and Rarity were embracing each other. "And why is thou still in the arms of a scornful lock when thou place has been set into alabaster stone under the glorious rein of the now engaged princess of light! What decision has thou made of thy fate?" When nopony had answered, the princess of moonlight stomped her thundering hooves and demanded, "ANSWER ME!"

"Ahem!" Princess Celestia turned to a now smirking draconequus, and she and her younger sister gasped in anger and utter shock. "Missed me, Tia? Luna? Boy, who thought that the most touchy would wed before your truly?"

"Why-How have you escaped the imprisonment! The Mane Six have turned you effectively into stone!"

"On the contrary Tia." He teleported to Twilight's side, who was displaying her biggest blush yet. "Chaos is as free of an element as your six precious elements. And now, allow me to 'but in', dare I say, to ease your worries."

"What is it that you're NOW after you fiend." Luna screeched. Discord rolled her eyes at Luna and put his lion arm over Twilight.

"Geez, Luna. Why so strict and screeching all the time? I just wanted to propose to love dove here, but apparently, the wild cards never get chances to explain because everpony is so afraid. 'Oh, what are you going to do now?' Or by next Tuesday it's 'You better give her back, or this or that or blah blah blah!"

Princess Celestia didn't exactly like how Discord was holding the one mare that was as close to her as her past relatives and Luna. "What are you saying, Discord?"

"Look up rule one-hundred and seventy five, toots."

"What does he mean sister," Luna asked earnestly. Celestia uncomfortably shifted from hoof to hoof.

"I'l just recite it-"

"You remembered it, huh Tia?"

"Discord!" Celestia glared daggers in the spirit's direction before continuing. "For Discord and I….We once wanted to get married. But-But we were quite young. For you must understand; we were younger than the Mane Six."

"But older than us, " Lupus clarified before Apple bloom shoved him. "Right?" Celestia grinned and nodded 'yes' to the crusader.

"And we issued this long forgotten rule; for any descendant or friend of the royal throne who marries any opposing spirit for the cause of peace will be allowed to appeal to….the law we had set for Spike and Rarity's cause."

"Sister." Princess Luna, now wide-eyed and worried, approached her sister. "Does thou mean that any fruitful or youthful couple of such certain qualities, regardless of any, is free to live under such a bond? But-But-"

"Sister," Celestia drew out sternly with a small smile. "I thank you kindly for your assistance, and I know that you are in need of another mare for single blessedness. However, if Discord was to surprisingly marry Twilight in peace…" She gazed admirably at her smiling student and shrugged. "I have no say. Her friends, every creature, is now free with our permission to wed. Or if in remaining peace and hospitality, remain together until such a time."

"Does that mean," Rarity bowed respectfully before her princesses before asking, "I am free to love Spike?" Celestia nodded, and everpony cheered as Spike and Rarity kissed under the sunlight.

"YES!" At that point, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash's wings had returned to them and flapped happily in delight for their friends. Then without a warning, Fluttershy spun Dash around and kissed her lightly. But after realizing what she had just done, Fluttershy flushed and nervously flew off. But before she was able to exit, Dash dipped her lowly and returned the favor with a quick peck.

"Not so much of a fan of Spike huh," Dash teased. Yet at the mentioning of his name, Fluttershy clutched her throbbing head. "You alright there?" Fluttershy grinned and nodded briskly.

"Of course! It's just…I had the strangest dream about….loving Spike." Her face had suddenly turned slightly green, but Rainbow Dash was there to kiss her 'dream's' side effects away.

Meanwhile, Eel's head was being tended by Sweetie Belle. "It's so weird…"

"Like a hangover," Scootalo asked, ignoring the fact that Hawk and Lupus were now bellowing with laugher.

"Like a hangover," Eel agreed, while pointing to Pinkie Pie. "It was about her…She's kind of crazy, huh?"

"Yeah," Sweetie Belle agreed with a dreamy smile. The sweet crusader was now used to the butterflies flying in her stomach; she had developed a strange liking to them anyway. Rarity had caught her younger sister's grin and smiled gracefully while petting Spike. He too, was facing a major headache from last night's floral scandal.

"I love you Rarity," Spike muttered to himself, or at least had tried to. Rarity smiled and pecked his cheek and nuzzled his head soothingly.

"I love you too, Spike. So much that it's worth any dream worth facing."

The wedding was simply a fabulous occasion. Several balloons were blown up and filled the clear skies. And even when the weather was excruciatingly humid thanks to a nervous princess bride, coolers and drinks were quickly shared by numerous guests. The outdoor stage was set, and several instrumentalists and gifted ponies, including Octavia and Vinyl Scratch, had volunteered to play for free. And even the Great and Powerful Trixie, Zecora, and Princess Luna performed magic acts for the young crusaders and taught several brave volunteers some cunning tricks.

The Apple acre family had provided several scrumptious and hearty dishes and jugs of apple juice and cider. Apples in bright and colorful shades were cut into several sunlight and moonlight shapes by the crusader classes, and Applejack managed to stir and bring up a batch of sweet apple sauce. Pinkie Pie, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, of course, had baked several delicious batches of frosted cookies and cakes. And finally, the six feet tall, vanilla brides cake had been delivered after the hearty lunch buffet of hay and wheat sandwiches and stews. The groom himself, Prince Victor, was very much fond of his own carmel groom cake and discussing Celestia's astute lessons with Twilight Sparkle.

"I still remember her vivid lesson on the aspects of Everfree Forest's economical estate," Twilight continued brightly. She was, indeed, a picture in her midnight blue gown and red rose headpiece. "The results of my experiments were not as accurate as I had hoped, yet even now, I cannot regret friendly neighbors in their presence such as Zecora."

"As I'm sure they cannot regret your presence," Discord had suavely added while joining them. He wore a simp tuxedo with some crazed, royal blue, zig-zag tie with several lizard patterns laced on it. 'That's the spirit of chaos alight,' Victor thought calmly.

"I expect that you'll take great care of this wonderful child," Victor reminded Discord with a slight fatherly tone in his voice. "As I have no doubts that you will."

"Vick," Discord snaked his arm around a flushing Twilight. "We're as stuck as you with Tia. By the way, when's the vow thing gonna get a move on? Some spirit needs some time on the dance floor!"

"Luna's going to provide the vows soon," Twilight pointed out, while wildly looking around. To her relief, she had spotted the prideful night heir tapping the microphone of the smaller stage, the stage where the vows were to be proclaimed.

"Ladies and gentle mares. We are ready to proceed to the vows." After the said vows were said, Twilight had to drag her now numb hooves from sitting for half an hour. Heck, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had fallen asleep before Luna had finished the first part of her speech! They both had to be shook by three bubbly crusaders and flower mares.

"Get up, Dash!" Scootalo was bouncing the highest before she tripped onto one of the ring bearers, Hawk. "They're dancing soon!"

"Did somepony say dancing?" Discord grabbed Twilight's hooves and shouted, "Let's go cut a rug, hun!"

"But-but I can't dance!" Discord rolled his mahogany eyes and gave her an encouraging smile.

"I'm leading. It'll be a okay!"** (The song I am using for this final part is a wonderfully exotic song sung by artist Julie Zenatti. Of course, I do not own this amazing song named 'Tango Princess.' And yes, it's french. But in parenthesis, the rough translations are underneath each line Lyrics and translations from: tango_princesse_lyrics_julie_ , video/item/136, and Google Translate.)**

Discord lead Twilight to the center of room below the stage. Suddenly, Vinyl Scratch had flipped in a new, sparkling record on the gleaming DJ system and bobbed her head slowly to the soothing melody. Shining Armor elbowed his sites teasingly as he held a giggling Princess Cadence, and Twilight rolled her eyes and grinned amiably in response.

The lights had suddenly flashed on five mares, a baby dragon, and six nervous crusaders background dancing in the background. Twilight's jaw had dropped then and there, as her five friends war now swaying in silky dresses. "Guys?" She and Discord leap onto the stage, as they all strut in their stance of tango. "What's going on?"

Spike grabbed the microphone, as he whirled Rarity in his arms. _SPIKE: 'Uno, dos, tres, cuatro.'_

ALL MARES: Je suis une princesse Je suis une princesse Je suis une princesse (_I am a princess I am a princess_

_I am a princess…_)

RARITY: Une robe assassine

Des talons trop grands

Sur ma bouche dessine

Tous mes désirs en brillant

(_An assassin's robe Heels that are too big On my drawn lips All my brilliant desires_)SWEETIE

APPLEJACK:Un parfum me vole

Mon autre, troublant

Cette envie qui me colle

A la folie comme un gant

(_A perfume that flies to me_

_Other troubles_

_This envy that glues to me_

_mad like a glove_)

SCOOTALO:Même après minuit

APPLE BLOOM:En terre inconnue

SWEETIE BELLE:Danse et je te suis

CRUSADERS: Comme si j'étais perdue (_Even after midnight_

_in a foreign land_

_Dance and I am yours_

_As if I was lost_)

PINKIE PIE: Loin de ces royaumes

Et ces contes de fée

Toutes mes pages déchirées (_Far from these kingdoms_

_And these fairy tales_

_All my pages are torn_)

RAINBOW DASH: Moi je suis une princesse

La reine de ma rue

Oui je suis une princesse

FLUTTERSHY:Ennemie du temps perdu

Une femme à la recherche

A la recherche d'un aimant

Pour ma peau

ALL: Pour danser mille et un tango (_I am a princess_

_The queen of my street_

_Yes I am a princess_

_Enemy of the lost time_

_A woman in search _

_In search of a magnet_

_For my skin_

_For miles and dance a tango_)

RARITY: Ma robe assassine

Déchirée, se froisse

FLUTTERSHY: Sur ma bouche amère

Je voudrais que tu m'embrasses

APPLEJACK: Nos jambes se croisent

Mon c ur est touché

PINKIE PIE: Nos corps s'apprivoisent

La raison est en danger (_My assassin dress_

_Torn, wrinkled_

_On my mouth bitter_

_I would like you m'embrasses_

_Our legs are crossed_

_My heart is touched_

_Our bodies s'apprivoisent_

_The reason is in danger_)

TWILIGHT: Je suis une princesse

Royaume inconnu

Oui je le confesse

C'est un malentendu

Même si la vie blesse

Tous les contes de fées

Laisse-moi t'emmener (_I am a princess_

_Kingdom unknown_

_Yes, I confess_

_This is a misunderstanding_)

SPIKE, DISCORD, AND CRUSADERS: Un, dos, tres, cuatro

(Suddenly, Pinkie Pie recites the events of this comically lively tale involving floral arrangements. This is Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' final monologue from Puck the : I skipped a few lines and added an extra replacement name from the original.) PINKIE PIE (speaking during melody): 'If we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended. That you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream. Gentles, do not reprehend. If you pardon, we will mend. (She takes Applejack and Twilight's hooves.) For I am an honest mare not buck, if we have unearned luck.' (The music resumes to the upbeat tango.)

APPLEJACK:Moi je suis une princesse

RARITY: La reine de ma rue

FLUTTERSHY: Moi je suis une princesse

DASH: Ennemie du temps perdu

TWILIGHT: Une femme à la recherche

A la recherche d'un aimant

ALL: Pour ma peau

Pour danser mille et un tango (_I am a princess_

_The queen of my street_

_Yes I am a princess_

_Enemy of lost time_

_A woman in search_

_In search of a magnet_

_For my skin_

_For a million dance et a tango_)

ALL: Je mets mon c our à nu (I put my heart bare)

ALL MARES: Moi je suis une princesse

La reine de ma rue

Oui je suis une princesse

Ennemie du temps perdu

Une femme à la recherche

A la recherche d'un aimant

Pour ma peau

ALL: Pour danser mille et un tango (_The queen of my street_

_Yes I am a princess_

_Enemy of lost time_

_A woman in search_

_In search of a magnet_

_For my skin_

_For a million dance et a tango_))

(Discord flips Twilight high and catches her with a wide grin. She smiles back, and they and their friends end their song, as Celestia's wedding bouquet lands in Twilight's arms.)

ALL: Pour danser mille et un tango. (_For a million dance et a tango_)

They then huddle off the stage. But before Twilight can hop off, Pinkie Pie throws her into Discord's arms and cries cheerfully to the fourth wall crowd, "So good night unto you all. Give me you hooves or hands, if we be friends, and Pinkie shall restore amends!" Fist pumping, Pinkie then turned to her awestruck friends. "Now where's Gummie?"

**THE END! Thanks guys for your comments and flattering alerts on the story! It's mostly to the thanks of Shakespeare and these ponies that can make almost any song look twenty percent cooler or whatever! (I'm not an expert on the whole pony percentage topic.)**


	8. Not a chapter! Author's thank you

Dear viewers,

I would just personally like to thank you all for simply viewing this story like you do for others and taking the time to read it in consideration. I always knew that there were some renaissance geeks for the Athenian midsummer dream experience like me! It's such a random, chaotic, and stupidly decisive story, and I adore it so very much! Yay conflict! And if you guys think I should either continue with my heartbreaker one-shots or write another parody-plotted tale, such as one based on the legendary Pandora myth or the James Bond sequences or another base just as wacky, feel free to state it!

With respect, honor, and love for all us admired fanfic geeks,

Olive Nerd

P.S.: I swear under my stale profile page that I'm a fanfic geek and prideful of it, so be polite when repelling or marveling. Either way, I stand proud for us all!


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